


Bite Me

by Zaltia



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/F, Lapis is kinda a conspiracy theorist, older steven, ridiculous anime fighting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2018-08-17 11:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 70,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8142655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaltia/pseuds/Zaltia
Summary: Lapis is determined to find something supernatural or die trying.After meeting Peridot, at least one of those is going to happen soon.Vampire AU. Also, my attempts at making Peridot the cool one in the relationship.





	1. In which Lapis accidentally succeeds at something.

“Remember Steven, don’t scream if they bite you.” Lapis said, pulling a thick turtleneck over her head. “Fear is like mustard for them.”

“Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?” her younger companion asked. “Because I’m really more of a ketchup person, so..”

“It’s a metaphor Steven. You’ll be hearing  a lot of those, don’t worry.” She puffed out her chest and pulled the sweater all the way down. The rational part of her mind reminded her that she lived in Beach City which had a resting temperature of an oven. That and it was the middle of the summer. These facts in mind, Steven couldn’t tell if his best friend was clinically insane or just really really stupid sometimes.

“I think I get it,” Steven said, putting his own pink sweater on, “But are you sure today is a good day for vampire hunting? I don’t think any vampires would want to come out in this weather.”

 

Lapis waved off his concerns with practiced skill. Years of research and practice have led up to this, and many other previous failures. As she looked out into the forest bordering her hometown, she steeled herself. For weeks she gathered evidence, finding as many clues possible to where the monster was hiding. Hell, she even asked Ronaldo for some help. And nobody asks ronaldo for help. Seriously, she had to take two showers after she was done.

If one were to be completely honest though, her reputation wasn’t much better than Ronaldo’s. Ever since she was a kid, everyone called her the water witch. She never figured out if it was because she was really good at swimming, or if it was her obsession with the supernatural. It started when she was a kid and her mom got her a ‘spell book’ for her birthday. It was a cute fascination at first, but Lapis was never one for finishing early.

As time went on, she gathered more trinkets of supernatural things. Her room became decked out in whatever she could find next. Ouija boards on the bookshelf, stuffed cryptids by her bedside. She was blessed with family who didn’t ask too many questions. Her imagination grew as she continued to add to her collection. Day after day, she learned as much as she could, hoping to one day fulfill her dream: Finding a supernatural creature in the flesh. 

 

“I have a good feeling this time Steven. Don’t you trust me?” she said, smile brighter than the setting sun. Steven bit his lip and sighed. He looked up at the girl, only about three years older than him and smiled.

 

“This time, we’re definitely going to get it.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“So, we didn’t get anything today.” Lapis said. The moon was high in the sky, and their clothes were covered in muck. Together they had searched every inch of that forest. Steven still couldn’t get the smell of pond scum out of his nose, let alone his hair. Their search went on for hours, their only results being leaves, mud, and a very irate squirrel. Steven named it Little Lappy before it tried to bite him. 

“The trail must have ran cold then, but that’s alright.” Lapis said, pulling another stick out of her hair. A strand of blue stuck to it as she tossed it to the ground. She hoped that mud was good for her tan complexion. It probably wasn’t particularly good for Steven’s. “So, all we have to do is regroup. The trail ran cold, but that must mean we were getting close to something. What do you think Steven?”

 

Steven looked away and kicked at a rock. His hands were in his pockets, dirt still clinging to his wrists. He wore a frown like a highschool student wore a necktie. You almost never saw it happen, but when you saw it, you knew it was serious business. Today was serious business.

 

“Steven? What’s wrong?” Lapis asked, reaching for her admittedly only friend.

 

“I’m sorry Lapis, but I’m done.” Steven said. He kept his head turned from lapis, refusing to look her in the eyes. His hands were clenched, pulling out from his pockets and grabbing onto his shirt.

“What, steven what do you me-”

“I’m sorry, really Lapis I am. I just, I can’t do this anymore.” Steven said, voice breaking. “This is the fifth time we’ve gone out and found absolutely nothing. I’m going to be cleaning this out of my hair for weeks Lapis. And I mean, you’re my friend. We’ve been beach summer fun buds since we could pronounce beach summer fun but. But this is enough. I can’t do this anymore Lapis.”

 

Steven took a moment to let this sink in. Seconds passed, bordering up to a minute. Bracing himself, he looked up to Lapis with watery eyes. 

Lapis looked like a slapped fish. Her hands shook for a moment, then stopped. She looked ahead, blinking slowly before letting out a long pained sigh. Brushing her hair to the side and dusting the gunk off her dress she looked back at Steven. She took a deep breath and nodded.

 

“Alright, that’s fair.” she said through a tight smile. “I’m just. Thank you Steven for putting up with me till now.”

 

“Lapis, I didn’t mean it that way, I just-”

 

“It’s fine Steven.” She said, shoulders shaking more than she wanted. “It’s fine. I’ll see you next week for the surfing tournament? I can’t win without my number one fan.” She ruffled his hair with her hand. He looked back up to her with a quiet smile.

 

“Are, are you okay?” Steven asked.

“Pfft, are you kidding me? I’m better than ever Steven.” She lied. “Look, you have to get some sleep right? Seventeen year olds like you have to sleep, what, ten hours a night or something?”

Steven laughed and swatted her hand away. “You’re one to talk. You’re practically a granny at this point.”

 

“Gasp, you go to your room young man.” she said, chuckling back. “See ya later starchild.”

“See you later Bob!” Steven said before sprinting off to home. Lapis hung back and watched him run off into the distance. Somehow the kid never ran out of energy, even after exploring the wilderness for three hours.

 

She waited till she couldn’t hear footsteps anymore before she relaxed. Her shoulders shook and tears came to her eyes. She hated crying, but it really did help in some sort of twisted way. She stood there for a few minutes, sobbing into her hands. Years of guilt, frustration or, whatever came into her poured out through tears. It sucked, but it helped. Somehow it helped.

 

She kept sobbing there in that spot until she regained her senses. Tired from leaking half the fluids in her body, she walked down to main street, hoping that some store would be open at this hour. 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big Donut never closed. She didn’t notice this until now, but they were always open at the weirdest time. Shrugging that off, she walked in and started looking at the drinks on display. The music in the place threatened to lull her to sleep if she didn’t focus.

She dropped her root beer when a figure bumped into her side. “Hey, rude!” she snapped. Looking at the perpetrator, she was met with a lot of green with some blonde on the top. 

The person let out a hefty sigh and looked up at Lapis. She was paler than fresh snow with eyes as green as the beginning of spring hidden behind a pair of thick lenses. She looked up to Lapis the same way you look at mosquito buzzing in your face. Her lips were pulled into a tight frown and her blonde hair fell perfectly in every messy way. She had a green hoodie over what looked like a ragged t-shirt. Both looked like they hadn’t been washed in at least a week.

“How about next time you mope somewhere other than the middle of a donut store?” she said. A quick wave of her hand followed and she walked off, sugary beverage in her hand. Lapis only stared as the shorter girl walked over to the register. Her mouth stayed open to respond, but English got hard for some reason. Her brain frizzled until the shorter girl passed by her again.

 

Moving before thinking, Lapis reached out and grabbed the shorter woman’s wrist. Both froze at the contact. Lapis’s gaze flicked down to her hand and back to the woman. As she opened her mouth to speak, she found herself unable to make any noise. The girl took a sip of her drink, wiped her mouth with her free sleeve and turned to Lapis. Lapis’s heart stopped. She tried to breathe, but ice held in her lungs as green gems stared through her. 

“Let. Go. Of. Me.” the blonde said. Each word hit Lapis like a knife in her chest. For the second time in the last thirty seconds, her hand moved without thought. Her fingertips were still cold from where her skin me the other.

At this moment, her brain told her to turn around, pay for her root beer and move to a city on the other side of the country from this girl. Thinking for a second, she decided to go for the hat trick and opened her mouth without thinking.

 

“You still haven’t apologized.” she said. “And I don’t know who you are, but you really need to get over yourself. You don’t know me, so before you start commenting about me try this. Wait for me to kneel down to your level, and apologize for being a jerk and for spilling my beverage. You do not know the kind of day I’ve had today, and you do not want to cross me.”

 

The smaller girl glared at Lapis. Pushing her glasses up her nose she took a breath and blew it out. She looked up to Lapis and, grinned at her? Lapis shook herself as the girl smirked, then started to chuckle. Seconds later she was engulfed in laughter, clutching at her stomach with a tear running down her cheek. Wiping it, she smirked at Lapis, showing the straightest teeth she had ever se- Except for the fang that almost touched the bottom gum. Blinking, Lapis rubbed her eyes as the girl let out another laugh.

 

“Wow. I haven’t heard anything that in a long while. You are either the bravest girl I have ever met, or the biggest dumb dumb I’ve ever seen.” She said through leftover laughter. “Word of advice, your  insult game needs a bit of practice. Also.” She closed the distance between her and Lapis. Flashing a pointed smile, Lapis could swear her eyes turned red for a second. “You’re really cute, so I’m going to let it slide this time. If you ever see me again, do not even think of raising your voice to me. Got it?” She said, poking Lapis in her sternum. Then, just like a blink, she was out of Lapis’s bubble and walking out the door.

Lapis stood there, heart beating at a thousand miles an hour. Footsteps approached from behind, making her jump in the air. Breathing hard, she looked over to Sadie, the only employee who’d work the midnight shift here. She walked over in her lavender big donut uniform, blonde hair tied in a ponytail. Snickering, she started to mop up the sticky mess near Lapis. 

“Wow Laz, it’s been a long time since you picked a fight.” She said, light grin on her face. “Thanks for not getting any blood on the tiles, I’m still not certified to clean that up.”

 

Lapis turned to her friend and put her hands on her shoulders. “Sadie. You work here, yes?” She said, still remembering how to english.

 

“Uh.. yeah. Lapis, I’ve been giving you free drinks for years. By the way, that root beer was your freebie for today.”

Shaking her head, the blue haired girl tripped over a few more words before saying, “Yes, I mean thanks I mean. Who was that?”

Sadie hummed and put a hand to her face. “You mean the other short blonde with a temper?” She said, snickering as Lapis pushed her shoulder.

“Yeah, well at least you haven’t made me piss myself.” Lapis said, snorting as she started to laugh. “But no seriously, who was she? I’m the only grumpy spirit allowed to haunt this place.”

“Hmm.. I think her name was… I think she called herself Peridot? Honestly, I don’t know much about her. She just always comes here after dark, buys an energy drink or two and leaves. Only pays in cash too. Why, don’t tell me you have a crush or something on her?”

 

Lapis made a gagging sound as she put a hand to her chin to think. Inside her head the little water gerbils ran as fast as they could, putting two and two together. The girl was paler than a baby’s butt cheek. She only came out at night. She was freezing to the touch, and then there were the fa-

 

“Oh my god Sadie she’s a vampire.” Lapis said, completely deadpan. Sadie smiled gently and kept mopping.

 

“Sure thing Lap. So was the postman, and that tall nervous chick with the pink hair.”

Lapis opened her mouth to respond, but bit her tongue. Steven’s voice still rang in her ears, sending a shudder down her back. Making wild accusations and alienating whatever friends she had left did not sound like a fun Saturday evening. Taking another deep breath she nodded her head.

“Alright, I’ll prove it then. See you later when I have evidence Sadie.” she said, turning to the door.  Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open as a cold wind blew down her back. She stepped out as the door started to close behind her. Turning her head, she saw Sadie wave her off with a smile. Letting out a long breath, she let the air relax her as much as possible. It took only a few seconds, and then she was ready to find her.

If she could figure out where she went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo, I don't know what you guys think, but it was fun writing Peridot like this. Kinda reminded me of her pre-character development. Anyway, this is the first chapter, and I've got a bunch more planned.
> 
> Let me know what you think though, Any comments are greatly appreciated. See ya next chapter!


	2. In which Lapis needs a better hobby.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis chases the root beer spiller. It doesn't go according to plan.

Stalking people was hard. It never occurred to Lapis how much effort went into following someone without being noticed. After an hour of shadowing this ‘Peridot’, Lapis had a notepad of notes, and no actual progress. Flipping through her notepad she decided to review her notes while Peridot… Peridot was crouching over a plot of dirt muttering to herself as she kept picking up and dropping seeds. Lapis didn’t think to hard about it as she started from the beginning.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took Lapis about ten minutes to find Peridot. Running down the street from the Big Donut, she panicked internally. What if that mystery girl was gone, what if  it turns out she wasn’t a vampire and she was just being really really creepy. What if she was right? She shook it off, telling her brain to think about it when they have the luxury of thinking instead of acting. She ran down the street, looking over and over for a green hoodie. Then she remembered how short Peridot was and looked a bit lower. It took her a while, but eventually she caught a glimpse of short person with blonde hair and let out a breath.

 

Peridot sipped from the energy drink, having put her headphones on. Big, probably expensive, speakers covered her ears as she walked down the street. Lapis squinted as she watched Peridot reach into her pocket. Biting her lip, she rummaged for a notebook as Peridot pulled out a.. Shopping list. Blinking, she looked up and realized, they were in front of the local All-Mart. The only twenty-four hour store in the county, it specialized in overpriced taquitos and soul-crushed employees. Lapis liked to come here whenever she felt bad to feel better.

 

Lapis watched as Peridot cursed to herself, kicking at the door-frame. Eventually, the automatic doors slid open and she let out a breath. Lapis raised an eyebrow in confusion but didn’t really question it as she waited for the doors to close. Following behind, she tried to look as casual as a stalker could be. Thankfully, the midnight shift could not physically care less and she slid right through the aisles after Peridot.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First stop was the pet section. Peridot did not look like the type to enjoy living creatures, so Lapis narrowed her eyes. Putting pen to paper, she jotted down  all the potential reasons Peridot would visit the pet section. Peridot eyed the rabbit cages and bit her lip. Horror filled Lapis’s  chest as she scribbled harder in her notebook.

 

Gaze lifting from the bunnies, the potential pet eater turned to the person working at the counter. Lapis, tucked behind a large stuffed teddy bear in the toy section, couldn’t hear what the conversation was. She could see Peridot saying something to the employee who definitely did not want to be here. Arms flailed, eyes widened, teeth gnashed. And all that was just Peridot. After a minute of angry talk, the employee shrugged and walked off. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Peridot turned and rested her elbows on the counter.

Lapis almost yelped and hid behind her bear shield. She held her breath as the teddy, now dubbed MC Bear Bear for his proud service, shielded her from what she hope was Peridot’s gaze. After what seemed like forever she peeked around the bear. Her pulse raced as she imagined a pair of green eyes glaring a hole through her. Looking around the fur, she saw the Peridot facing the other direction glaring down the employee. With a grunt of effort, the employee lugged an extra large bag of kibble onto the desk. Muttering out something that Lapis assumed was thanks and slugged the bag over her shoulder and walked away.

 

Lapis jotted down in the notebook: “Has a… dog? Questionable.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her next stop was the produce section. Lapis let out a sigh as she popped open a bag of gummy worms. Did she pay for these? She couldn’t remember. Shrugging she popped a blue and red one into her mouth as she watched Peridot. 

 

Peridot had been carrying a forty pound bag on her shoulder this entire time. Lapis squinted, looking for some muscle on the tiny frame. Nothing jumped out at her, so she assumed that the hoodie was covering it up. Maybe she had a six-pack? Shaking her head, Lapis shook the mental image from her head. She reached into the bag and threw a yellow and red one in this time.

 

As Lapis watched, she let out a long sigh. Somehow, this girl managed to make buying meat even more boring than it usually is. Lapis’s eyes fluttered as sleep tugged at her shoulder. Groaning, she waved it away and let out a yawn. Another worm made it into her mouth as she watched Peridot grocery shop.

 

Three steaks later, and a stupidly long time in the spice section, Peridot picked up her basket and kept walking. Lapis spasmed in her seat as Peridot walked down to the other side of the store. Groaning like a teenager on Monday, Lapis took the mostly empty bag of gummy worms and shoved the rest down her gullet. The sugar scraped down her throat, leaving a candied-numbness on her tongue. Sighing, she stood up and scribbled in her journal.

 

“Likes meat… I think? Could be for dog. Can dogs eat cumin? Need to google that later.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dogs should be able to eat foods with cumin. Maybe. Lapis wasn’t sure since most of the sites she looked up were vague. She didn’t mind googling more. It gave her something to do while she sat, back against some computer display. Most of the outdated screens around her flickered with age. She smelled static and hot computer exhaust. She wondered if she lept her laptop on.

Peridot had dropped her purchases on the ground by the desk in the center. Stealth was for people who cared, so Lapis was close enough to listen to Peridot’s conversation. She only retained the parts she paid attention to. Grumbling to herself, she wrote down the important bits in her notepad.

“Hey. You, yeah you.” Peridot had said, waving down an employee. When the teenager pretended to not hear her, she slapped the ‘help’ button. Realizing she hit an oxymoron she decided a more direct approach would prove favorable.

 

“Hey dipshit! Get over here and help me before I report your pasty ass to the clod you call a manager!” she said, diplomatically. Something caught the employee’s attention and he made his way over to Peridot. Lapis chuckled as she noted all the swear words Peridot used in a thirty-second period. She might have to call Guinness after the night was over.

 

After all the yelling and screaming, Lapis noted that Peridot wanted some help finding something. She also noted that Peridot has probably never interacted with an employee, or another human being before. The sales rep did not enjoy the yelling. Or the insults. Or the short blonde proving the former in excess. Lapis watched as he sighed, trying to drown her out as he looked for the object of Peridot’s desire.

 

It took a few minutes, but he returned with a set of gloves. Lapis squinted and saw they were more like mittens. Their thumbs were a different color, dark blue sitting on top of lime green. They looked like the gloves people wore in winter so they could use their smartphones in the snow. Lapis shrugged as she marked this down in her notepad. Sure, it was still late summer, but having poor taste in clothes and customer service weren’t a crime. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Ten minutes later, Peridot was done with her list and Lapis was done being a stalker. She had followed the girl the entire time, waiting for something interesting. In retrospect, she didn’t know what she should have expected. Maybe, she hoped Peridot would attack a poor defenseless employee and drag her off to the shadows to do unspeakable things to her. Then again, she probably saw too many vampire movies at this point.

 

Slumping to the ground, Lapis held her head in her hands. “What am I doing?” she said to the ground. “I’ve been awake since six in the morning, and it’s already past midnight. I’ve been following a random girl for half an hour because I thought she was a vampire. And I managed to drive away my best friend.”  Groaning, she stood up and looked down the street towards Peridot. The shorter girl had disappeared into the night while she flipped through her notes. 

“Figures. Welp, you really fucked it today Lazuli.” she said as she turned back down the road. Looking around, she blinked a bit at her surroundings. Tall apartments loomed to her right, lit by some street lamps in use of a good tune up. Her other side was flanked by a dark forest. The wind picked up, rustling some leaves. Lapis felt a chill run up her back as she kept moving.

 

Common sense would have told her to head back towards the buildings. It would be faster, probably safer and she wouldn’t get lost. Common sense had gone to bed about two hours ago, so she took the long scenic route along the forest. Salty wind swept from the beach, the taste of the ocean rolled on her tongue. Leaves crackled behind her, and her hair blew about in the breeze. Letting out a sigh she looked up at the sky. “I really need to get some sleep.” she muttered.

 

A twig cracked behind her. Lapis flinched. Turning around, she saw nothing behind her. Grumbling to herself, she kept walking down the street. “Freaking rabbits.” she mumbled. Leaves rustled to her side and she pulled the collar of her turtle neck to her mouth. She picked up her pace, pulse racing as the  rustling increased. Breaking into a sprint, she started to pant as the trees started to shake. Her heart pounded into her ears as she kept running. Out of the corner of her eyes, a shadow moved.

 

Slamming her heel into the asphalt, she whirled around. Stumbling she sprinted back where she came from. Behind her something scraped against the pavement. With every second, the sounds came closer and closer. Her brain wanted to scream. Her lungs were too busy letting her run. The sounds got louder, the clicking of claws against pavement rang in her ears. She pushed as hard as she could, begging her legs to keep moving. Panting filled her ears as she moved harder than she had in years. It took a second to realize it wasn’t her panting.

 

Panic took over and she tried going faster. Her feet tangled, sending her tumbling across the ground. Skidding a few feet, she landed on her back. Eyes closed, she held her head in her hands. She could feel the bruises she’d regret in the morning. Lying back she groaned. Then she heard the breathing.

 

It was slow, rhythmic and deep. Every breath led to a hot puff of air across her face. Something wet dripped onto her face. Clenching her hands, she took a deep breath and shook her head. Maybe if she held perfectly still, whatever wild animal this was would leave her alone. Maybe it was just somebody’s lost dog. There was one way to find out.Letting out the breath she slowly opened her eyes.

 

It could pass for a dog. If you squinted and there wasn’t much light. The first thing Lapis saw as she opened her eyes were the teeth. The canines must have been longer than her forearms. Sharpened to a point and paler than the moonlight, each tooth dripped with spit. The mouth curled into a sick smile. She was hungry, and Lapis could tell. Looking up, she stared past the maw of the biggest wolf she had ever seen. Its fur was striped, orange bars streaked across its nose. Its eyes stared through Lapis. Amber eyes burned into Lapis’s memory.

 

Primal fear shook her. Every hair on her body wanted to run, but she couldn’t move with the wolf on top of her. She started to hyperventilate, shaking her head. This wasn’t how she was supposed to die. She wasn’t done with her Netflix queue. Steven was waiting to see her perform at the surfing contest. She still wanted to have a proper girlfriend or something. She didn’t want to get eaten. She didn’t want to die.

 

The wolf matched eyes with Lapis, and it’s mouth broke into a grin. As it leaned up, it did not break eye contact with Lapis. Something clicked in Lapis. This thing enjoyed her fear. It liked watching her struggle. She swore it started to laugh. Lapis opened her mouth. She wanted to say something. She wanted to scream. Her voice left her as the wolf’s smile grew wider. Bearing it’s teeth, the moon outlined its features and Lapis’s heart stopped. And then it lashed out.

Lapis screamed and brought her hands to her face. She kept screaming and holding her arms in front of her, waiting for the ripping or the tearing or the pain. Nothing. A second passed. Then another. Lapis gingerly moved her arms and opened her eyes. Two inches from her face was a world of teeth and pain. The tongue even seemed frozen in place. Lapis’s heart started to slow as she looked at this creature, frozen in time.

 

Scooting back, she crawled out from under the creature. Sitting in front of it, she realized how big this thing really was. It had to have been at least ten feet long. Standing on its legs, it reached an easy six feet from foot to shoulder. Lapis  breathed, eyes still in shock over this giant creature, frozen in time. Footsteps came from behind her. Lapis turned, ready for the freaking bigfoot to show up next. She found green instead.

 

From the dark into the silver moonlight, Peridot stepped into her view. Her head held high and arm held forward, she approached Lapis with the biggest smirk she had ever seen. Fangs portruded over her lower lip. Her eyes shone with a dark crimson, glaring down the wolf creature. She walked closer, standing over Lapis, hand in her pocket. Looking down, her smile got wider as Lapis stared in shock.

 

“Do me a favor.” Peridot said. “Try not to scream, alright?” 

  
Lapis failed that really quickly.       

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to start off with, thank you for such positive feedback. It really means a lot and makes it much easier to write when I know people are enjoying it. So, thank you and hopefully you all continue to enjoy.
> 
> Secondly, I was thinking and wanted to put a warning out there for anyone who's uncomfortable with it. This fic is probably going to showcase some violence, because werewolves and vampires fighting, and blood, also because werewolves and vampires are fighting. So, I haven't yet but I may bump the rating up if it gets too bad. Also, it might start getting a bit uh, sexy in there so that will definitely bump the rating to mature. 
> 
> Anyway, point is, I wanted to let anyone know ahead of time. I just want everyone to have a good time.
> 
> So, again, thank you for your patience and I will see you guys next week with a new chapter. I get to start having fun next week. And reminder, for every comment and kudo I get, my heart grows three sizes larger. See you next chapter.


	3. In which Lapis is a juice box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to a timely rescue, Lapis avoids being a snack. Hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so guess who's going to comic con? 
> 
> Moi. 
> 
> And guess who gets a new chapter early because I probably can't post on Monday.
> 
> You. Yes you, at the digital device. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“ Yeah, that’s the exact opposite of what I asked.” Peridot said. Letting out a sigh, she shrugged. “Well, I give you points for trying.”

 

After the screaming settled, she resumed gawking at her savior. Above her stood Peridot, a pasty white girl who would have trouble getting on a roller coaster. Normally you’d expect someone with her looks to be shaken down for their lunch money. But there she was, hand stretched to the monster, confidence radiating from her being. Lapis didn’t realize she was staring before she saw movement in the corner of her eye. She yelped and threw herself behind Peridot’s leg, putting a denim barrier between her and certain death.

 

“Last time I checked, you’re supposed to buy me dinner first.” she said, looking down at Lapis. A quick wink and Lapis felt her heart pound again and color rise to her face. Peridot turned back to the beast who had started to move its limbs. Peridot raised her free hand over her mouth in thought before shrugging. “Right, let's take care of this first.”

 

Peridot flicked her wrist. It was like swiping left on Tinder. Short movement and the thing you were pointing at flies off into the distance. In this case it wasn’t some random stranger, but instead a random giant wolf thing. It flew faster than Lapis expected, crashing into a set of trees that lined the road. Bark cracked, stumps came uprooted and a dust cloud erupted from the landing sight. Lapis regretted not bringing her video camera. 

 

She waited a few seconds before trying to stand. Someone replaced her knees with gelatin, but she managed. Mostly. Halfway up, she almost stumbled, but Peridot caught her waist. Pulling her closer, Peridot moved Lapis till their noses almost touched.

 

“So, Blue. Learned your lesson yet?” she asked, smiling dangerously at Lapis. “Or am I going to have to educate you?”

 

Lapis was currently unavailable. As her brain scrambled to process all of this new and terrifying information, she couldn’t do much. She just stood there, half leaning against Peridot. The fabric of the hoodie soft to the touch, and her hands cool yet inviting. She stared into the other’s eyes and found herself lost in the swirling green and red. Peridot leaned closer, smile widening showing an array of almost polished teeth. Lapis shuddered as she leaned in. Maybe it would be alright if she just relaxed and let Peridot-

 

“PERIDOT!!” a booming voice shouted, snapping Lapis out of her daze. She stumbled back and Peridot barely caught her by the fingertips. Lapis noticed the blush and confusion on the other girl’s face. Yanking her back, Peridot looked towards the source of the voice. Lapis noted her expression shift from the wide smile to an adorable pout.

“Aw man, I thought that wolf looked familiar.” She said, rubbing a temple with her finger. “Okay, kid. Blue, whatever your name is. Just, get out of here. You will not want to be here in twenty seconds.”

Lapis stared back, dazed from whatever just happened. She recognized there were… words coming out of Peridot’s mouth. Words that came out of her pretty mouth with the shiny lips. And the, and the pretty face. 

 

Peridot took one look at the goofy  smile on Lapis’s face and groaned, “No no, hey. Look at me, you have to get gone now befor-”

 

A stomp rang through the night. Peridot muttered a few more swear words as she turned to the source of the noise. Lapis giggled and leaned against Peridot’s shoulder. The buzz started to wear off as she blinked a few times. Pulling herself out of the clouds, she focused long enough to see the figure walking into the light.

 

The first thing she saw were the eyes. Dark amber reflected moonlight as both eyes locked on Peridot. The scowl was still there, smaller but twice as vicious. Long white hair toppled over bulging muscles. The muscle tank-top she wore did not leave too much to the imagination. As she walked her arms seemed to pulse. If she was wearing sleeves, they’d probably tear from the pressure. Across her face and arms, stripes of white cut through dark brown. She moved slowly, with meaning. Each movement calculated as she closed the distance between her and Peridot.

 

Peridot shifted, putting herself between Lapis and the wolf. As she got closer, she let out a roar that made Lapis flinch. Peridot adjusted her glasses.

“You. Give me a good reason not to pound your skull into dust right where you stand.” She growled. Sharp teeth glimmered as she talked.

 

Peridot stood up, and somehow Lapis felt short for a second. “I’ll give you two, Jasper.” she said. Pulling a hand out she raised two fingers. “One. This is my territory, so you’re the trespasser. By all accounts, I have the right to do whatever I want to whoever is stupid enough to trespass. Angry werewolves included.” She lowered the index finger, only leaving the middle finger. “Two. It would be really hard to pound anything when every bone in your body is broken.”

 

Jasper flared, stepping forward and leaning into a stance. Peridot held her hand out and Lapis could see a faint glow return to her eyes. Jasper snarled, eyes latching onto Lapis. Frost spread through her body as the eyes beamed down on her. She clutched Peridot’s jacket harder.

 

“One day runt. One day, I am going to wipe that smug smile off your face.” She said, looking back at Peridot. “But for once, this has nothing to do with you. I’ve been following that little blue rat for the last ten minutes. And the last time I checked, mortals wandering into any of our territories are fair game.”

 

Peridot groaned. “Yes. Which is why you had the brilliant idea of  attacking her while she was in the human grounds. Like the apartments she was across the street from. Now, what else is illegal by our laws?” Peridot rubbed her chin with her free hand. Letting out an exaggerated ‘oh’ she frowned at Jasper. “That’s right. Letting muggles know about our existence. Unless you want to explain a giant wolf attack to the news.”

 

“Gah! I hate it when you use those stupid human fantasy words. And why do you think she was following you? She must have figured out something.”

Lapis looked away, screaming internally. If she made it back alive, she owed Steven and his mom at least a dozen apologies. And ice cream bars. Looking back, she studied Peridot’s face. The frown stayed stapled in place. Her eyes moved as she tried to solve some problem in her head. Her gaze met Lapis’s and for a moment they lingered. She exhaled and glared at Jasper.

 

“Jasper, tell me, do you read minds?” she said, deadpan reaching dangerous levels.

“What? No, that’s your stupid, vampire thing.” 

 

Rubbing her temples she shook off an aneurysm. “Right. So you didn’t know she figured anything out. In fact, I had met her earlier and I can tell you. Honestly, she’s probably just a desperate lesbian.” she said with a dismissive sigh. “Look, it’s part of the whole vampire thing. Can’t have you kill every person who gets a crush on me.”

 

Lapis’s face was beat red. Embarrassment and anger mixed together with a good layer of fear to give Lapis a… new experience to say the least. She glared at Peridot who shot her a look. Roughly translated it said ‘shut up if you want to live.’ And so she did.

 

Jasper stood up, lowering her claws. “So, what’s your point?” she said, hands turning back to a human shape.

 

“My point is you’re the one who blew it by attacking her as a giant wolf.”

“I know that.” Jasper said. Peridot flinched for the first time that evening. Standing to her full height, Jasper glared down at the pair. “I’m saying. What is your point? She knows far too much. So stand aside and let me fix this.”

Lapis’s heart stopped. Clinging harder to Peridot, she looked up at Jasper. Towering over her, she could see the fangs jutting out of the woman’s mouth as her maw started to grow. Looking over to Peridot, she shook harder. Her brain raced with the possibilities. Either she trusted this small asshole confirmed vampire. Or she accepted certain death at the hands of the female Terry Crews. Looking at Peridot, she swallowed. Time for her to hedge her bets.

 

Peridot’s expression fell. It lost its confident smirk to begrudging acceptance. Looking over to Lapis and back to Jasper, her eyes showed something. Lapis wasn’t sure what, but something ran in Peridot’s brain. After what felt like an eternity, Peridot took a deep breath and exhaled.

 

“Like I said before Jasper. My territory. My stalker. My call.” Taking Lapis by the arm, she spun her around till they stood face to face. The distance between them could hold a magazine. Peridot didn’t break her gaze from Jasper as she held Lapis closer. “You’ve done enough damage tonight. Now shut up while I fix your fuck up”

 

Lapis tensed as Peridot’s hand slipped around her waist. The blonde’s breath tickled the exposed neck about Lapis’s turtleneck. She felt a hand pull down the collar of her sweater. Panic alarms rang in her head and she started to struggle. Peridot’s grip held tighter as she pulled them even closer together. Now touching each other, Lapis felt her pulse go up again. She was going to need heart medicine after this. She closed her eyes and shook her head as the vampire leaned in close. She heard a faint whisper next to her ear. “I’m sorry.” Then the bite happened.

 

Sharp pain shot through her neck as her skin broke. Her mouth opened to scream, but air failed to leave her lungs. The pain grew as fangs extended into her jugular. Clutching Peridot tighter she let out a groan. And then the pain stopped. Then the warmth started. Gasping, she shuddered as it started to spread.

 

For a moment, Lapis forgot that she was being bitten about five feet from a werewolf who wanted to wear her like a hat. She forgot about her aching feet and the bramble cuts. For a moment, all she felt was warmth, her thundering heart beat, and Peridot. As the bite deepend the warmth spread and Lapis let out an involuntary squeak. Holding onto Peridot’s shoulders, she clung as the world began to shake beneath her. Squeezing her eyes shut she let the feelings rush over her. She melted into Peridot’s arms as she grabbed at blonde hair. Something flashed under her eyelids. Sparks, fireworks. Dark jade. She didn’t know. Everything hit her at once, like someone just took a hammer to her and went to town. They did a number on her legs as they began to give out. Just as she threatened to fall, strong arms held her up and she opened her eyes.

 

Peridot looked down at her, face rosier than it was before. She wore her trademark frown as she looked over Lapis. Her eyes seemed happier than before. She turned back to Jasper who had just watched all of that. 

 

“It’s done.” she hissed. She stood Lapis up and stepped in front of her. Glaring down at Jasper, she closed the distance between them. “Now get out of my face.”

 

Jasper looked back, expression illegible. The air between them stopped, too afraid to get in between the two. Time slowed as Lapis staggered. Even in her dazed state, she could only watch as the two glared each other down. After an eternity, somebody moved.

 

Scoffing, Jasper turned around. “Fine. Just remember, I’m keeping an eye on you,” she warned. “So for either of your sakes, pray you don’t see me anytime soon.”

 

Peridot stuffed her hands in her pockets. “Noted.” she sighed. Turning around, she walked towards Lapis. Over Peridot’s shoulder, Lapis saw Jasper walking into the woods. As she reached an outlying tree, she turned around. One last time, she locked eyes with Lapis. She smiled, turned forward, and disappeared into the darkness.

  
Today was exhausting. As the adrenaline left her system, exhaustion set in. Her recent brush with mortality left her spent. Strength leaving her she fell to her knees, staring blankly at the ground. Shoes came into her field of vision and a hand touched her shoulder. She wanted to move away or respond, but her body gave up. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a green sweater and porcelain fangs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an emotional roller coaster. Anyone have a favorite part? Mine is the whole thing, just saying.
> 
> Also, thanks again to soulofpricefield. Here is some lovely fan art they drew for this thing: http://soulofpricefield.tumblr.com/post/151387749687/youre-really-cute-so-im-going-to-let-it-slide
> 
> If you have the time, please go shower them with love and cat memes in my stead. Anywho, remember to leave a kudos or a comment. They make these early fall nights slightly less cold as balls. See you next chapter.


	4. In which Lapis should've stayed in bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis has the most stressful morning after and Peridot has terrible bedside manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an extra long chapter for you guys! Couldn't find a place I was comfortable splitting it, so it's like... a double chapter.
> 
> Also holy crap we hit 1300 views and 148 kudos. You guys are the best.

The nice thing about dreaming is waking up. The warmth of a good night’s sleep wrapping around you as you slowly regain your senses. When Lapis started to wake up and felt the sheets around her, she let out a long pleased sigh. Stretching with a yawn, she pushed off the covers and let the air wrap around her. Rubbing her eyes she tried to remember yesterday. She must have had some, weird fever dream or something after Steven left her. Chuckling to herself she stretched again and blinked her eyes open. The world around her was blurry, but it seemed alright. Smiling, she leaned back and let out a sigh. Vampires, right. She’d never be that lucky, or unlucky as it was. She couldn’t wait to tell Steven about it. Absentmindedly, she took hold of a cup that someone brought to her. Mumbling something in the realm of thanks, she took a sip of juice as she looked up. It was really nice of that pretty blonde person to-

 

Lapis spat out her drink. Peridot, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed jumped and angled away from the splash zone. Looking back to her charge, Peridot held her hands out. Her face screamed ‘what the heck’, and the rest of her more whispered ‘what the fuck’? Lapis just held her cup. She took another sip of juice, which helped the dizziness that she just started to notice. A moment passed before the shorter one spoke up.

 

“Please tell me that’s not how you always wake up. I don’t want to change the sheets every day.” Peridot whined. 

 

Lapis took another sip of juice. It was some sort of fruit punch. Tasted pretty good, probably expensive stuff. Maybe if she drank enough she’d wake up. A hand waved in her face as she took another small sip. 

 

“Heey. Hey, Earth to Blue. You still awake, or do I need to pinch you or something?”

 

Lapis took another sip. Swallowing this one a bit faster, she ran her tongue along her lips. “I’m… not dreaming. Am I?” she said. The slower she said it, the more believable it felt.

 

“No. You’re not. Though you definitely were last night.” Peridot said with a frown. Rubbing her side she murmured. “You should have told me that you were a kicker. I better not bruise from that..” 

 

Looking onto her hip, Lapis did notice a small discolored spot. At least the judo lessons she took as a kid were doing something. Looking a bit up she also realized that Peridot wasn’t wearing a shirt. Blushing harder, she looked down into her juice for answers. It told her to drink more so she kept taking small sips.

 

The sun shone warmly on her back. Looking up, Lapis noticed the cracked wood above her letting bits of sunlight through. Looking around, the room besides where she was dim. Rubbing her eyes, she let her eyes adjust. The room was small, quiet and a barn. Lapis blinked a few times as she realized that last part. Besides the bed she found herself lying in, there was very little in this place. She glimpsed what was probably a fridge in the corner, next to a stove. A television sat across the way from the kitchen, facing a large beat up couch. Overall, the place treaded the fine line between livable and a storage facility.

 

She lowered her cup. The bed shifted as Peridot moved to stand. Lapis reached out and touched her hand. The paler one tensed and Lapis drew her hand back. Taking the cup back up, she took another sip, longer this time. The two stayed on that bed, slowly choking on words not said. 

 

Peridot broke the silence. “How are you feeling?” she asked. Lapis looked up at the girl who had turned her head back to look at her. Lapis swallowed as she found herself stare. She did not take Peridot for one to have back muscles but if you squinted they were there. Her arms were the same too. Flimsy looking noodle like implements that must have carried her to wherever this is. She found herself mildly impressed. As she looked up the pale skin, a mark caught her eye. On her arm, ,just below her shoulder in the middle of her bicep, a rough pink mark ran across the flesh. Looking to the other arm, she found its twin. They were the only blemishes on the perfect ba- And she caught herself drooling and did not finish that thought.

 

“I’m fine,” she muttered, hoping that Peridot didn’t catch her gawking. “I…Last night. You saved me.”

 

Peridot turned back and nodded, slight color tinting her face. “Um, yeah. I, I guess I did.”

 

“Thank you Peridot.” Lapis said with a small smile. Seeing Peridot’s raised eyebrow Lapis coughed. “I heard that girl, Jasper? She said it, so. I assumed it was your name.”

 

“Oh.” Peridot mumbled. “Well,  that saved about ten seconds of my day bl-”

 

“It’s Lapis.” she said. “Lapis Lazuli. Yeah, like the rock. Mom and dad thought it would be funny. Called me their ‘precious stone’ and stuff. It was embarrassing.”

Peridot chuckled. “Precious gemstone, huh? That’s… interesting.” she mumbled at the end. Lapis nodded and pulled her knees closer. The silence settled between them like an uninvited third wheel. Awkwardness pressed on them until Lapis cleared her throat.

 

“So, um. What next?” Peridot responded with a “mreh?” Lapis shrugged. “I mean. What happens now. I mean, I don’t. I’m sorry I-”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Save it.” Peridot cut in. Lapis bit her lip and looked down to her juice. Adrenaline returned to her, giving her brain enough energy to start panicking. “So, do you want to start talking about last night, or should I?”  

 

Lapis snorted. “Yeah, I can’t believe you couldn’t find a pair of gloves. What are you, four hundred or something?”

 

Peridot turned, scowling. “You must really enjoy taunting me don’t you?’” she hissed. Lapis turned up to her, face red. She opened her mouth to respond back before she realized: Peridot turned to face her. Peridot was not wearing a shirt. Which me-

 

“Oh my stars, put a shirt on!” she yelled, trying to cover her eyes with the back of her hand. She shook her head and tried to forget the… sight she saw.

 

Peridot’s face turned quizzical as she crossed her arms over her chest. “What, never looked in a mirror before? Don’t tell me I was right with that desperate lesbian comment.”

 

She wasn’t desperate. At least, that’s what Lapis told herself. Lapis couldn’t let Peridot know that though. Lowering her hand she shot a flimsy glare at Peridot. “I am not. Some of us have standards that involve not flashing other people”

 

Peridot snorted, leaning back against the wall. The bed creaked with the weight shift. “Alright, enough avoiding the problem. Now, as I was saying.” she took a breath. “Last night. Let’s start with this. Why were you following me?”

 

Looking away, Lapis rested her cheek on her knees. “I thought you were a vampire.” she stuttered. The inside of her gut punched her as she said those words. The stupidity of the whole situation clocked her over the head as she groaned into the sheets. “That sounds so dumb out loud. Who does that?” she yelled into the void.

 

Looking up she saw Peridot sporting an amused grin. “Wait, are you serious? You thought I was a vampire from ten seconds of interaction with me.” Lapis nodded. “And thinking that, you decided to follow me. A person you had assumed to be a vampire.” Lapis nodded again. “What kind of death wish must you have had to do that?” 

 

“I needed proof.” she said. Peridot blinked and the grin fell off her face. Lapis swallowed and let out a breath. “I needed to make sure I was right, so I followed you.” 

 

Peridot covered her mouth with a hand and looked down at the bed. Lapis tried to read her, but she seemed distant. “You… were ready to die?” Lapis snapped up as Peridot looked back at her. The gaze shot ice down her spine again as Lapis shivered. The weight of the situation pressed down on her as thoughts swarmed in her head. Slowly, she nodded. 

 

“I. I fucked up. Really badly with, one of my best friends. I took him on another wild ghost hunt in the woods and. I’m pretty sure he had a date with his girlfriend, and I kept him from it. And we were out of there and he was mad and.” Lapis gushed. Breathing became ragged as tears started to peak out. The feelings from yesterday swam across her chest, strangling her heart and taxed her breathing. Shaking she pressed her head against her knees and started sobbing, babbling words that stopped meaning anything. Vision whirled and she gripped her hair as the world fell from under her.

 

And then a hand touched her shoulder.

 

Looking up, she saw a pale hand, gently grasping her shoulder. Peridot looked away, but kept her grip on Lapis’s shoulder. “Um.. I. I get it. I think.” she said, hand picking words in her mouth. “You have a friend, and you made a mistake. You hoped he’d forgive you if you found a real vampire. And, seeing me you figured if you were right, your problems would be solved either way.”

 

Lapis stared back. She sniffled, rubbing the sadness from her eyes. As Peridot’s words reached her, she internally laughed. Somehow this total stranger understood her problems better than she did. And hearing it out loud sounded infinitely more pathetic. She let out a small chuckle as she pulled herself tighter together.

 

The grip on her shoulder tightened. “I know how you feel. I did something stupid like that for a friend too.”

 

Lapis snorted. “Right, and how did that turn out?”

 

“I’m a vampire now.” she responded. Lapis bit her lip and looked down at the bed. Peridot removed her hand and ran her fingers through her hair. “I, okay. That makes sense now, in a weird obsessive kind of way. Well, let me start by saying this. You were right.”

 

Lapis spat out a “Hah!” she rubbed her eyes again as her nose began to run. “I think I figured that part when you bit me. So, what’s the deal with that? Am I dead now? Is this fruit punch my last meal before you make me a raisin?” she said, laughing humorlessly. That feeling in her chest spread through her torso and, she felt tired.

 

She waited. Silence drifted between them again and she listened for the leaves rustling outside. After an eternity Peridot spoke. “Don’t joke about that again. I did not risk evisceration just to kill you. So don’t joke about that.” Lapis looked at Peridot as she spoke. Her mouth was in a trademark frown, but her eyes were different. They were sad. “And, the biting part is. Ugh, you skipped around too much. I had a place to begin and, ugh. Now I have to change everything and-” Lapis watched as the vampire pulled at her hair in frustration.

 

Holding her hand up, Peridot caught her breath. “Okay, one thing at a time. First, you’re not dead. Congratulations, you get to be a clod for another sixty to seventy years. Secondly you're not a vampire. It's more complicated.”

 

Lapis raised an eyebrow. “Uh, but you bit me. Like, really hard. Isn’t that how vampires reproduce?”

 

Peridot scoffed. “Do you really want me to show you how vampires reproduce?” she said, raising an eyebrow. Lapis flushed and Peridot snickered.  “I thought so. You read too many novels.”

 

Lapis blushed harder. “Well, okay yes. But, wait that wolf… person thing.” Amber eyes flashed in her head and she hugged herself reflexively. “Jasper. She said you couldn’t let normal humans know about… this. Oh stars you really are going to kill m-”

 

“I already said I wouldn’t.” Peridot chided. Lapis bit her tongue, pulse thumping in her ears. She slowly uncurled her legs. Peridot rubbed a circle into the bed. “I said I won't, so I won’t. You’re not going to die because of me. You’re here because, there’s a loophole.”

 

Lapis squinted at the slight pause. “What… loophole exactly. Because I- oh god is that why you’re not wearing a-”

 

“Stop jumping to conclusions!” Peridot snapped.  Lapis looked then snorted at the dark red that covered the vampire’s face. She chuckled a bit as Peridot tried to regain composure. “I just sleep like this. Makes it easy to stretch out my wings in the morning.” She crossed her arms and scowled at Lapis who was still chuckling. The brown girl stopped and stared. Peridot groaned, “Yes, I have wings. No, I don’t feel like showing them right now. Ask nicely when I’m in a better mood.”

 

Lapis swallowed as her heart thumped in her ears. Looking around, she bit her lip and thought how fast a grumpy vampire could actually run. “Alright, so what did you do? Because if you’re not killing me then the tension will.”

 

Peridot shifted, hand on her chin. She chewed on her lip, which Lapis swore had to be illegal, as she picked out her words. “I… alright, the code that all of us supernatural creatures as you’d call us follow has specific rules. Yes Lazuli, there are more of us, don’t interrupt me. We’re not supposed to out ourselves to the general public. Mass chaos, persecution, annoying tourists or stalking conspiracy theorists.” she shot Lapis a glare. Lapis recoiled. “It’s supposed to be a secret.

 

“And then you came and messed it up. Now, by our rules there are only two things we can do with you. Either we eat you, or we… contain you. I chose the latter.”

 

Lapis looked at Peridot with wide eyes. “Wait, are you saying I’m not allowed to leave this place?”

 

“Stop interrupting me, clod!” Peridot growled. “I’m trying really hard to be nice right now. So why don’t you let me finish.”  she ground out through a tight grin.

 

Lapis’s chest constricted as she inched away from Peridot. Swallowing, she said, “I… okay, Peridot. Just, let’s just take it easy. Why don’t… why don’t you go put on a shirt or something first.” And I run like hell, she thought. “And then you can explain it to me properly.”

 

Peridot looked up and locked eyes with her. Lapis knew, every person  had that point of ‘shit I’m not willing to deal with today’. Peridot seemed dangerously close to her limit. She took another deep breath, and closed her eyes. “Okay Lazuli. I understand, it sounds really bad. But if you just try to relax,, I can actually explain this to you. And then you won’t have a panic attack. Now, are you ready to listen?” she said, forcing a ‘natural’ smile.

The air where Lapis sat didn’t respond. The girl in question bolted before Peridot finished her first sentence. Staring at the space, the vampire felt her eye twitch. She wondered if vampires could get aneurysms. The thumping headache growing in the back of her head seemed to point to it.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sprinting down the sidewalk, she ran until the barn was an afterthought behind her. She avoided the forests on the way back, staying near as many buildings as possible. The sun beat down on her back, warming away the chill in her chest. After what felt like too much damn running, she stopped, leaning against a wall in the shade. Dropping to the ground she took a deep breath, then let it flow out her mouth.

 

Rational thought returning to her, she held her head in her hands. The last twenty-four hours replayed in her head, bringing out a weird gurgling vomity feeling. If she had to describe something as vomity, that was probably a bad sign. Still, she sat there in the building’s shadow, breathing in and out. Her heart raced, threatening to burst any minute. Her thoughts swirled in her head as she struggled to reel everything in. Several long calming breaths later, she checked her pockets.

It hadn’t occurred to her that she was still wearing her clothes from the night before. Her shorts were still there, which was a good sign. Dirt stains from the previous adventure welcomed her back. Her t-shirt was still in one piece, if not for the odd hole or two that she acquired over the years. Pockets were felt, and she found her wallet and cellphone still in the same spots. Her phone survived the night as well, a bright 35% at the top corner. Looking at the phone, she noticed two things: One, it was around two in the afternoon, which was never a good sign; Two, she had about ten missed calls from Steven, and two dozen text messages. As she scrolled through, his words radiated more and more guilt and concern. A knot twisted in Lapis’s stomach. 

“Okay, time to deal with the rest of my fuck ups” she muttered, shoving the phone in her pocket and walking towards town. Her heart sped up and her breath hitched. She hoped Steven still had some lunch leftover.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Turns out he had a late lunch. Lapis had knocked on the door, expecting anything from concerned fury to surprised ire. Her throat clenched and her stomach hurt. Breathing was hard and her heart was trying really hard to burst out of her chest and run away. Still, as she waited in front of the door, her mind drifted to all the increasingly implausible things that could happen. When the door opened revealing Steven, still wearing his cookie cat pajamas, he took one look at Lapis before pulling her into a tight bear hug.

 

Shaking, she stood there, wrapped up in his embrace. She tried to say something but words escaped her. Opening her mouth caused the tears to well up in her eyes. Clutching his shirt, she held him close and just weeped. Loudly, grossly and painfully she cried into her best friend’s shoulder on his doorstep.

 

Steven smiled as Lapis kept sobbing into her shoulder. The big lug could probably bench press a gorilla, but he’d end up apologizing and baking it cookies afterwards. He had a huge heart, and Lapis didn’t know how he did it. But still, as she stood there in his arms as he squeezed her almost dangerously tight, she felt safe.

 

After she cried herself out, Lapis let him hug her for a bit before gently pushing against him. She stepped back and rubbed at her eyes. She stood there, eyes red and nose runny. Her heart was still thumping in her chest, but it hurt less having let it sout.

 

“I’m sorry Lapis. I shouldn’t have said that stuff to you and left you alone, I jus-” the boy apologized. 

Lapis laughed before putting her hand on his shoulder. “Look, you. You were right Steven. And I was never mad at you. Just, can we go inside? I’ll explain more,” without the vampire and werewolf parts, “after I get something to eat. You think your mom would mind if I satiate the beast?” she said patting her stomach.

 

“You look like you haven’t eatn all day.” Steven laughed hard before turning back into the house. “Pearl! Lapis is here, can she eat lunch with us?!” he shouted into the house. It was a humble home, two floors to its name and shag carpeting. It served as Steven’s home since he was a kid, and Lapis’s second home for almost as long. The stress in her back melted away as the familiar atmosphere engulfed her.

 

“Of course, Steven!” Pearl called back. “I’m almost finished with the tuna casserole! I know it's her favorite!” Steven and Lapis locked eyes and swallowed simultaneously. Lapis stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry. Steven made a gagging noise and made a face. The two kept eye contact before Lapis started to snort. The two started to laugh as Lapis took off her shoes and closed the door behind her.

 

The smell hit her as they approached the kitchen. Baked fish mixed with whatever incense Pearl had put out that morning. It was pleasant in a way that confused Lapis. She and Steven walked past the trinkets that accumulated over the years. She glanced at the pictures that covered the wall. She was in almost as many of them as Steven, both with Pearl and or Greg. Lapis always laughed when they called her ‘the older sister Greg didn’t tell them about.’ It felt nice, felt. It felt like home. Her gaze lingered on the one frame, small and tucked in a small corner. In it, a woman with huge pink hair laughed as she held Greg with one arm and the camera in the other. 

Shaking her head, she followed Steven into the kitchen. Right now her stomach  trumped over whatever her heart or brain were trying to say. Pearl was already inside, setting the small table in the kitchen with plates and silverware. She had her normal peach pink bob cut pulled back into a working bun. She wore an apron over her collared shirt and pants. If Lapis had to guess, it was her cooking momma apron that Steven and Lapis got her for Mother’s day. 

 

“Good to have you Lapis.” She said, not looking up from setting the table.  “I heard that you and Steven had a fight and I was worried. He was crying all night.”

 

Steven blushed and Lapis laughed. “It’s alright Pearl. We worked it out and Steven didn’t have to sing a song to get us to make up.”

 

Pearl laughed as she finished setting the table. “You would be surprised. He almost ran out the house last night, ukulele in one hand and a bag of cookies in the other.” She stood up fully and turned to both of them. “Still, I’m glad you’re here Lapis. I was meaning to ask you about some… things.” she trailed off as she looked at them. For a moment, her gaze sharpened and her smile fell. She blanched, and locked eyes with Lapis for a millisecond. Then the moment was over and her smile was back.

 

“That reminds me. Steven, will you be a dear and finish setting out the drinks. Remember, two ice cubes in mine and none for Lapis.” she said, smiling at Steven. The black haired boy nodded and headed off to the fridge. “Lapis actually, could you come with me. The casserole will be done in a little bit, but I wanted to ask your opinion on something.”

 

Lapis raised a brow in question but shrugged. “Sure” she said, following the mother figure into the hallway. The two walked down the hall until they were away from the kitchen, near the first floor guest room. Pearl stepped inside as Lapis followed,  

 

“Is this about Steven’s birthday party? I mean, I know it won’t be for a few weeks, but I thought we had a plan already.” she said, smile on her face. She still smiled as she was thrown against the wall. Strong sharp clawed appendages wrapped around her neck as she struggled to stand up straight. Gasping, she looked up at Pearl. 

 

Pearl, the woman who had raised both Steven and essentially Lapis as her own children, raised Lapis till her feet left the ground. Both her hands had stretched, longer and more feral than a human should be. Each finger lead to a sharp point. She scowled at Lapis, sharp fangs protruding over perfect porcelain teeth. None of that really shocked Lapis. Her brain didn’t remember how to be shocked. Everything faded  to the fear that  poured through her veins as she looked Pearl in the eyes. Light blue irises had changed to a blood red that shone through Lapis’s being. They glared through her, pure fury radiating from her gaze. Lapis felt her breath catch as Pearl looked her in the eyes before she tried to pry the fingers from her neck. Pearl took a step forward. The claw tightened. Another step. They were inches apart. Pearl looked the girl dead in the eyes and whispered.

 

“What have you done to my Lapis.” she growled. Lapis looked back at her, choking in the frigid iron grip around her throat. Grasping at the fingers she gasped to try and speak.

  
She really should have stayed home yesterday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit, this chapter was kinda hard for me to write. I went through about five different drafts till I got kinda satisfied. So, apologies if this is kind of a slower chapter. 
> 
> And I don't know about you guys, but I'm glad we all got to meet Pearl. Who else is happy to see her. Don't worry, Peridot might suck at explaining but, maybe Pearl will be more helpful. Or not, we'll have to see.
> 
> Also I wanted to ask, if I wanted to make a tumblr tag for this fic where I complain periodically about how to make Peridot sassier, would anybody be interested in seeing that? Oh yeah, my tumblr is zaltia.tumblr.com It's full of nothing special.
> 
> Anyway, please let me know what you liked or did not like in the comments below. I want to make a joke but, really thank you everyone who's liked this fanfic. I wouldn't be able to keep going writing this without you guys. Thank you all for your support. So, just lemme know what else you guys are thinking. I'll see you all next chapter.


	5. In which Lapis is actually a good listener

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis finds out a lot of info. Hopefully she remembers most of it.

Breathing wasn’t supposed to be a contradiction. Fear grabbed at her lungs, speeding her heartbeat and shortening her breaths. Fingers grabbed at her throat, making any breath incredibly painful. Her head started to go light as she pulled on the appendages squeezing her windpipe. Coughing, she flailed her legs and tried to grind out some words. “Pearl…” she wheezed. “S-stop.”

 

Pearl did not break her gaze as she tightened her grip. “I asked you a question. What did you do to my Lapis.” she spat each word out, rage dripping from her tongue. Her glare pierced through Lapis, who coughed out a response.

 

“I don’t.” she gasped, “I don’t… know what you-”

 

“Do not toy with me. I saw the mark on her neck. When did you enthrall her.” Her hand shook. “What did she do? Let her go.” she ground her teeth.

 

Lapis gasped, vision blurring at the edges. “I.. It’s me.” she said, lungs beginning to run on empty. “Pearl… please.” she coughed harder, seeing spots. “I… I’m scared.”

 

The paler one broke her gaze as her shoulders started to shake. Biting her lip, she turned back to Lapis. Lapis saw the tears forming at the edges of her eyes before she removed her hand.

 

Lapis fell onto the ground in a flump. Gasping, breath returned to her. She scrambled to the wall, hand on her chest. Shivering like ice flowed through her veins, she panted as fear flowed through her. She saw Pearl kneel to the ground in front of her. Hands molded to delicate fingers that reached out and lifted Lapis’s chin. Flinching at the touch, Lapis felt her lungs panic. Pearl’s eyes still glowed a dark red, but the edge had disappeared. Irises glared through her eyes, but sadness and fear softened the look.

 

“What is your full name?” she said, voice low.

 

Lapis breathed, chest rising and falling. Her lungs struggled to find a pattern, but they settled on something between humming bird wings and drum roll. Swallowing, she opened her mouth. “Lapis Lazuli Atangan.” 

 

Pearl hummed. “What was your favorite birthday present?”

 

Lapis swallowed, terror shaking through her back. “A pressed-leaf picture book that Steven gave to me when I was nine.”

 

Pearl nodded, biting her lip again. Lapis felt the shaking spread through her torso. Pearl mirrored her, hand becoming unsteady. Her shoulders shook and the gaze broke. Eyes began to water and Pearl’s bad cop face started to fade.

 

“What.” she choked on the word as tears started to flow freely. “What is your. Your favorite meal?”

 

Lapis shook, tears sprouting from her own eyes. “Fried chicken from that store down the street. But I always tell you it’s your tuna casserole.”

 

Pearl nodded. “Because you know it’s my favorite dish to make.”

 

Lapis sniffed and nodded back. “And I like seeing how happy it makes you whenever I eat it.”

 

Pearl choked on her tears as she let go of Lapis’s chin. Lapis watched her slump down, head in her hands. She kept muttering ‘I’m sorry’ over and over. Lapis held herself for a minute, reconciling with her second near death experience in twenty-four hours. Sobbing, she cradled herself praying she was still dreaming. She was still asleep, and when she woke up she would call Steven, apologize and Pearl would be over invested in the argument and everything would be fine. 

 

A hand touched her shoulder and she yelped. Looking up, she saw Pearl, scared that someone would shatter if she pressed to hard. Lapis had never seen Pearl looking so despondent. Swallowing that knot in her stomach, she leaned back into Pearl’s hand. The older woman swept her up in a tight hug which Lapis reciprocated. The two held each other as they both cried into each other’s shoulders.

 

After what felt like an eternity, Pearl spoke up. “I… I am so sorry Lapis.” she said. “I.. oh my stars. I’m so sorry, it.” Lapis felt her shake her head. Lapis held her closer and swallowed.

 

“Pearl. I… What was that?” she said, voice shaking. “I. Look, I. I’ve been through a lot today. And. And I. I still have no idea what is happening. So please. Just, please. What was that?”

 

Pearl was quiet for a moment before gently patting her back. The two broke apart before Pearl rubbed her eyes. “I.” she took a deep breath and clasped her hands together. “Okay. I’m sorry. I just. I saw the mark on your neck. I’ve. I’ve seen that bite mark before. I was scared.”

 

Lapis reached up and touched her neck. The feeling of the bite rushed back to her and she swallowed. “It left a mark? That, that makes sense. So you know about vampires?” she said.

 

Pearl nodded. “So, it is a vampire bite. Lapis, have you. Have you felt like yourself? Since getting that bite I mean.”

 

Lapis raised an eyebrow. “Pearl, nothing this past two days has been normal for me. But, yeah. What the hell is this thing anyway?” 

 

Pearl held a finger over her mouth in thought. Taking a breath she nodded. “I saw something like that a few times in my life. The first was a very, very long time ago. A vampire had bit someone my mas- er employer held dear, leaving that mark. I watched them afterwards. The days leading up to it, they seemed normal. I mean, loud, kind of angry but human. That’s the word I would have used. And after the bite, they. They stopped being that.”

 

Swallowing deeply, Lapis took a labored breath. “I. Okay Pearl you managed to scare me even more. I’m both impressed and mortified.”

 

Pearl laughed, humorlessly. “They kept walking around, and if you didn’t look too hard they seemed to be normal. It stayed that way until you saw, the details. The fake laughter, ignoring small injuries, forgetting details they shouldn’t have known. My old master, um. Person I worked for.” she looked away, biting her lip. “She described it as unsettling. The lights were on, the voice worked but. They were empty.” 

 

Shaking her head she took another breath to center herself. “It took some time, but. They found out what happened. Magic is, it is a curious thing. I’ll tell you more about that later, but for this case. Vampires are the way they are because. Because they. Their souls aren’t properly bound to this world, Lapis. And, in the case of those that learned, they can use that to their advantage. The mark on your neck, it’s not just a symbol. It’s essentially a door straight to your soul.”

 

Lapis blinked. Raising a finger she opened her mouth, then closed. Shaking her head she let out a groan. “Let me just get this straight. Not only did an actual vampire bite me, but she touched my soul. Which actually exists apparently. And you know all this? And what ju- I just. How is all this real?”

 

Pearl reached out, laying a hand over Lapis’s. The blue-haired girl flinched in reflex before relaxing at the touch. “I understand Lapis. There is a lot to take in, but stay with me. Now, where was I?”

 

“I have a spile in my neck that’s leaking soul juice.” she said, voice flat.

 

“Right, right. Well, I believe you should be able to relax for now. Let me finish that previous story. My master brought them home one day. It was late, and the sun had gone down. Her friend walked in and they talked, laughed like nothing was wrong. Then, no warning at all, she threw her friend against the wall. They looked shocked as my master shouted at them. Things about, leave her this once or give them back. They continued to panic until they just, stopped.

 

“They were mid scream when they relaxed. Looking back at my master, they spoke in a voice that wasn’t human. They laughed at her, laughing about how her friend was gone forever and there was nothing she could do about it. With a spiteful spit in her face, the smile faded and the body went limp. My master lowered her friend to the ground, checking all her vitals. There was a pulse, there was breathing. When my master opened their eyes, there was nothing. They didn’t respond, nor react to anything. It was like, the body was alive, but they were dead.”

 

Pearl swallowed, holding Lapis’s hand tighter. “I. I remembered that when I saw you. I was so, so scared. I finally understood what my master felt, just a hundred fold. I thought I lost you. I’m so sorry I put you through that.” She sniffed and Lapis put her free hand on Pearl’s shoulder. 

 

She smiled and rubbed off the growing tear from Pearl’s face. “Hey, I would have done the same thing too. Besides, who hasn’t been almost killed by their pseudo-mom before?”

 

Pearl laughed. “That is an incredibly small and specific pool of people Lapis.”

 

Lapis shrugged. “Hey, I don’t make the rules. Though, wait. If that’s what happened to your, master? Her friend? What’s happening to me?”

 

“I, remember studying the bite with my master. She was obsessed with hunting down and killing the vampire who had done this. So, she did what she did best and threw herself into research. She learned everything about the bite, found as many sources as possible. Every documented usage of the bite in history. She even called in some, unsavory favors.” Pearl shivered for a moment. “While we researched,  I found a passage about alternate ways to use the bite.”

 

Bringing her hands to her face, Pearl took a deep breath. Lapis watched her gather her thoughts as she spoke. “It was, small and very rare. But, it detailed that the channel that opened between the vampire and the victim worked both ways. Normally, the victim’s soul would be sucked out and they could assert motion and pseudo life over the shell. For a vampire with, other motives though, they did the opposite.

 

“By placing part of their own soul into the victim, the vampire could, in theory, give themselves power unmatched.” Pearl scrunched her brow and put a finger to her temple. Closing her eyes, she shook her head. Opening her eyes, which had glazed over, glass-like and dull, she started to speak rapidly. “It said that by taking a part of themselves and putting it in another, they would weaken themselves. Abilities would be restricted, they would be almost human during the day. But for a vampire willing to pay this price, all they needed to do was feed from the victim. Every time they fed from their victim, they would receive the seed of power they sowed with renewed interest. The extra soul energy would give them unfathomable strength, until the blood they drank made its way through. The second is not as common, but the results have been noted throughout history, as seen in the case of Vladimir Dracula. Side effects for the procedure were noticeable but primarily affected the vampire in question, leaving the human in relative health.” Pearl stopped, shaking her head a bit. Her eyes returned to their normal light blue and she smiled at Lapis. The girl just sat in awe that she had said that entire monologue without breathing once. 

 

“Okay, what was that?” she said, scratching at her head.

 

“Oh, well to summarize. Basically, a vampire could-”

 

“Yeah, no I get that. Kinda.” Lapis cut in, holding her hand out. “Vampire probably used me as a power bank or something. I don’t know I’m going to wrap my head around it later, but. I mean okay I have an explain for that first part, which I appreciate. Now I am just shifting the rest of my panic to the mother of my best friend, who in the span of five minutes managed to make even more questions than I had before coming here. People don’t just rattle off textbook entries without breathing. Also, okay I tried not to bring this up, but what’s this whole master thing? And oh here’s another small detail, those claws? The fangs? What the heck Pearl?!”

 

Pearl blinked. “Oh.” Blushing, she looked away, scratching at her head. “I had hoped you forgot about that part to be honest.”

 

“People usually don’t forget almost dying, Pearl.” she deadpanned.

 

“That’s fair.” Pearl said, sighing. “I had hoped to not tell this to your or Steven, but. Well, I guess that’s out of the question.” She looked back and locked eyes with Lapis. “Promise me you won’t tell any of this to Steven.” 

 

Lapis nodded. Pearl nodded back and bit her thumb. “This may come as a surprise to you Lapis, but I am not exactly human. I say master because, I was made by her. About, four hundred years ago. I’m what you might call a homunculus.”

 

Her jaw was heavier than she remembered. Lapis struggled, trying to close her mouth, but failed miserably. Gaping at Pearl she shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. “Wait wait. A homunculus. You mean like, the alchemy thing. A tiny, man made human?”

 

“Well, woman made in my case but, yes. I was created as a research assistant. My master, she called herself pink diamond, made me from a pearl she found in her travels. I still don’t understand the process but, she made flesh from stone.” Pearl touched her wrist without thinking. Giving a light squeeze, she sighed before continuing. “She made me to be her perfect assistant, and bodyguard if need be. I have an eidetic memory and could learn any information within seconds of seeing it. I could make weaker versions of myself from my body, turning long alchemic projects into trivial chores. I could transform some of my limbs because, sometimes all you needed was a deterrent to ward off violence. Only thing she didn’t give me was my own free will.” She laughed, dry and tired.

 

Lapis blinked and leaned forward, pinching Pearl’s hand. Still fleshy, still warm. “What do you mean, no free will?” she said, leaning back against the wall. “You seem pretty free to me?”

 

Pearl smiled, the kind that found itself trapped between laughing and crying. “That is a different story entirely Lapis. I feel like I’ve already poured enough on you already. Does this.”  The smile dropped and she fidgeted, hands rubbing together. “I, I know this is a lot to take in. The vampire bite and my identity. I know it will be hard being around, well me. But please for Steven’s sake will you-”

 

Lapis put a hand on Pearl’s shoulder. Pearl looked up, shocked at the small tired smile on Lapis’s face. “Who’s my favorite gem?” she asked.

 

Pearl looked in confusion. “I. I don’t kn-”

 

“Pearl.You always asked me and Steven that growing up. And the answer’s still the same.” She smiled at Pearl with the same kindness she had received thousands of times. “Look it. It’s weird, don’t get me wrong and I. I honestly need a very very long time to process everything. Like, really Dracula? But no matter what, you’re still Pearl. You never gave up on me and my stupid baggage right? I would never dream of doing that to you.”

 

Biting her lip, Pearl slowly nodded. As she took a deep breath, she reached forward and took Lapis in a tight hug. Lapis wheezed but hugged back as her guardian squeezed her tight and refused to let go. They stayed there for a minute before Pearl broke the silence.

 

“I think Steven is going to wonder what’s keeping us if we stay here much longer.” she said, standing to her feet. “You already have a vampire to deal with, the last thing we both need is twenty questions from Steven.”

 

Lapis laughed, dusting herself off as she stood. “You got that right. Aw man, does that mean I’m going to have to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of forever.”

 

Pearl chuckled. “Well, not exactly. I mean, if the emotional link works the way I read it, she’s probably heading your way right now.”

 

Lapis coughed and looked back at her. “Wait, what?”

 

“Oh yes, I didn’t get to that part.” Pearl said academically. “Due to the nature of souls, when fragments of one become bonded with another, they can experience some instances of  shared sensation both physical and emotional. Early unfamiliar stages can result in shared feelings of distress while later stages find even thoughts transferable between the two hosts. It really is quite fascinating, I could show you some books I’ve kept for my own personal. Lapis, what’s with that face?”

 

Lapis stared back, brain stalling for a moment. Pearl’s words rattled about in her brain with an almost audible thunk. She face palmed and groaned. “Why didn’t you include that with your explanation earlier? Is there anything else I need to know? Because if I start growing a third arm I want to know ahead of time.”

 

“Oh, did I forget to mention that part?” Pearl said with a grin. “Early onsets of limb enlargement should be seen by your doctor.” Lapis shoved her and they both laughed. “But in all seriousness, it didn’t seem relative at the time. And that is all the books told me. If you wanted any more details, you would have to ask an actual vampire.”

  
Lapis groaned and nodded as they walked back into the kitchen. “I’ll keep that in mind.” she said, turning to smile at her best friend. The boy at the table smiled back and pulled out a chair. As she settled back in and started to eat, she laughed again, tension leaving her body for the first time in what felt like ages. As she ate she almost didn’t notice the gnawing pain growing in the back of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pearl likes to talk. I like seeing Pearl talk, does anybody else? I figured I owed everyone an explanation, so here's the best I could come up with. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm almost done with the introductory stuff, so there'll be more action and awkwardness in the near future. Please remember, your support is everything. With each comment and kudos this fic gets, the monkeys that write this fic get a raise. So let's try and make it to ten bananas an hour everyone.
> 
> Thank you and I'll see you next chapter.


	6. In which Lapis is hooked on a feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis has an itch she can't scratch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everybody! Nothing super spoopy this week, but I'll make up for it.

Tuna casserole has never tasted this good. In fairness, it still tasted like shoelaces dipped in a fisherman’s work boots. But it felt like home. Laughter melted her stress and she felt herself relax for the first time in an eternity. Steven was going on about some adventure he and his girlfriend had. Lapis had zoned out around the beginning, but she came back around “and then she dropped the frog right on his head!” Smiling in amusement, she kept chewing on rubber.

 

And then the headache hit.

 

Dropping her fork, she grunted and grabbed her head in her hands. Thumping hammers pounded her skull as she pulled at her hair. Hands grabbed at her shoulders and she found herself pulled up to look Pearl in the eyes. Half-lidded and blurry, Lapis reached out and touched Pearl’s hand. She saw lips moving and heard ‘breathe’ repeated into her head. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and kept breathing. The headache continued to pound as she tried to focus on using her lungs. Eventually the headache left, leaving Lapis light headed.

 

Opening her eyes she looked up and saw Pearl and Steven looking over her. Concern covered Steven’s face, while Pearl had something similar to… understanding. Groaning, Lapis shook her head and let out a breath.

 

“Sorry about that. I don’t know what happened.” she mumbled. Pearl squeezed her shoulders and Lapis looked up. 

 

“You have nothing to apologize for Lapis.” she said, with a smile. Steven took Lapis by the hand.

“Yeah, that looked really bad.” he said patting her hand. “Do you want some water or some ice or something?”

 

Shaking her head, Lapis stood up. “No, it’s gone now.” she said, scratching at her head. Her brain felt oddly relaxed now. Considering it should be flat with all the hammering it took, she was relieved with the relative clarity. Except for this nagging feeling in the back of her head that kept telling her to go outside. Scratching at her arms, she started to feel a slight burning sensation. “Um, actually Steven could you give me a minute? I just had something to ask Pearl really quick.” she said.

 

Steven looked between Pearl and Lapis before frowning. “You sure? Is something up, Lapis?” he asked. Lapis gave him a fake smile. Sighing, he nodded. “Alright, well uh. I’ll just put the dishes away if everyone is done eating.”

 

Pearl looked back to Lapis and nodded. “Thank you Steven.” she said before heading towards the living room. The young adult followed her before glancing back at Steven. His worried expression made a guilt knot clench in her stomach. She rubbed her burning arm as she walked out.

 

“That looked pretty bad.” Pearl said with a frown.

Nodding Lapis pulled at her shirt. “Yeah, it just came out of nowhere and then just vanished. Is it because of the whole, being bitten thing?”

 

Humming to herself, Pearl looked up. “Well, considering all things, I would have to assume so. It could be as a result of the distress link you have with the vampire. Do you feel anything else?”

 

“Well, um. It feels like someone set my arms on fire.” she said, rubbing her shoulder, “But also I keep getting this nagging feeling that something's wrong with her. It doesn't feel right.”

 

Pearl hummed again, tapping her fingers against the wall. “Well, it is daylight so nothing too dangerous should be out there. Do you think you could handle checking it yourself?”

 

“Wait, what?” Lapis said, double checking her ears to make sure they worked. “You’re telling me to go out there and-”

 

“And find her, yes. It sounds like that link is sharing something between the two of you. And frankly, I don't think you'd be okay with yourself if you ignored it.” She chewed her lip for a second before continuing. “Just, keep your cellphone on hand. If anything goes wrong, you have me on speed dial, correct?”

 

Shuffling uncomfortably, Lapis looked up to Pearl. “Are you sure it’s safe. Because I don’t want to run into anything dangerous again.”

 

Pearl walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know it is,” she said, voice even, “And I am incredibly worried about you.I'm just a phone call away. I want to go with you, but.” Rubbing the back of her head, she looked away. “I’m pretty sure I'd only make things worse if I came.”

 

Lapis nodded and grabbed her elbow. The burning sensation throbbed under her skin. It fell between comfortably warm and searing pain. Groaning, she looked back to the kitchen, then back at the door. “If I end up being attacked by something out of a Lovecraft book, you better come save me.” she said.

 

Smiling, Pearl walked up and hugged Lapis. “With a flowing cape and everything. Don’t worry, I’m a lot faster than you think. Steven would kill you if you died however, so please don’t do that.”

 

Lapis snorted and turned to the door. Hand on the knob, she looked back to Pearl. “Tell Steven I’ll see him later?” Pearl nodded, heading back to the kitchen. With that, Lapis took a deep breath, opened the door and ran out into the world.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Following an invisible feeling in your head sounds like a good idea on paper. In reality, it ended with a lot of running around like an idiot and not getting anywhere fast. The feeling in her head dragged her down the neighborhood, back the way she had just ran this morning. It then turned her around, almost running into two different backyards and ended up with her almost getting bitten by an incredibly irate dog.

 

Eventually she found herself halfway down a side street, sun beating down on her and patience wearing thin. She wandered down the street, the feeling tugging her down another neighborhood that was admittedly familiar to her. Silently, she thanked all of her adventures with Steven giving her a good understanding of most of Beach City. And this neighborhood was relatively close to her apartment and a few blocks down from the supermarket and donut store.

 

“I am never going to walk ever again.” she whined to the sun. The sun beat down harder in response and Lapis gritted her teeth. “You stop that stupid… star thing. I swear, I’m going to fight the sun.” She almost believed it too.

 

Lost in her griping, she didn’t pay much attention to her surroundings. So when she walked into somebody’s torso, it took her a second to respond. Flailing, she backed up and shouted. “Oh my stars, I am so sorry!”

 

The crashee did not respond with more than a chuckle. Looking up, Lapis got a good look at the person she bumped into. She stood at least six feet tall, maybe an extra inch or two with her stupidly large hat. Blonde hair  trickled out from under it, falling over tan skin. She stood tall, pants suit immaculate other than the wrinkle Lapis’s face left. Holding an umbrella in her gloved left hand, her right smoothed out her shirt. Looking down at Lapis, predatory amber eyes studied her.

 

“You should watch where you’re going.” she said, voice low and slow. Lapis felt a shiver as the woman talked. “You could have gotten hurt.”

 

Blushing, Lapis scratched the back of her neck. “Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I was just trying to go find a friend and I got distracted.”

 

The woman nodded, eyes locking onto Lapis’s neck region. A smile rose to her lips, sharp as a knife. Chuckling, she leaned in closer. “Ah, must be a very important friend. You must not keep her waiting then.”

 

Lapis nodded and scratched her arm. The burning worsened the longer she talked. “Right, um sorry again ma’am. Also, are you new here? I’ve lived here forever and well, everyone’s seen everyone at this rate.”

 

She hummed, not breaking her smile for a moment. “I’m just visting  for now darling. Maybe take care of some business and such. I’ll be seeing you around.” Waving her hand, she turned and walked away, leaving Lapis kinda confused but also glad that she was done socially interacting.

 

Her head throbbed, and she shook it off. Turning back to the feeling, she kept walking down the sidewalk to wherever she was getting dragged. As she ran, focus renewed, she ignored the chill that ran down her spine as the woman’s voice echoed in her ears.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Running sucked. She kept it up for too long before it devolved to a brisk jog. The jog slowed to a fast walk, and about ten seconds later her legs gave up completely. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she groaned as the feeling in her head  kept dragging her forward. Sure, it was only a few blocks but her body argued that it was far too hot to be moving this much. Her body demanded something liquid or else it would collapse. Thankfully, she could see the Big Donut just a block away.

 

Picking up her pace, she tried to remember if today was Sadie’s shift. If it was that guy who worked there she’d be pissed. Was it Lars? Yeah, that sounded about right to her. Lars wouldn’t let her shove her face in the freezer for ten minutes. Also, there wouldn’t be free beverages so it would be outright terrible. As she walked up to the edge of the sidewalk, she looked at the giant donut that shaded the sun from her and took a deep relaxing breath. It lasted well, until the feeling in her head almost yanked her hair out.

Rubbing her head from the pain, she looked in the direction that it was pointing. She swore, if her inner tuggy feelings wanted a soda too, they could get in li- She stopped all thoughts when she saw a familiar shade of green. Checking across the street, she dashed into the shade in front of the store.

 

Slumped on the ground, right next to the entrance, was Peridot. As Lapis approached, the feeling started to fade and concern filled the gap. The blonde was curled in on herself. Long pants barely covered her legs, and Lapis could see crimson red on the small bits of exposed skin. Her arms were holding herself as tight as possible, gloved fingers digging into the sweater. She had her hood on as high as possible, leaving her face to Lapis’s imagination.

 

Swallowing whatever she felt, Lapis came closer and reached out a hand. “Peridot?” she asked.

 

A hand struck out to swat Lapis away. She braced to be thrown through a wall, and got an anemic pap to her wrist instead. Blinking, she kneeled down to get to eye level with the vampire. “Are you alright?”

 

A dry groan came from inside the hoodie. Lapis leaned in closer and tried to look into the hood’s shadow. Her eyes glared out, dark red irises that were too tired to have their normal edge. Her skin was patched with burn marks, seared flesh blotted across pale skin. She breathed, slow labored breaths that rattled her rib cage. Her fangs were retracted, Lapis thought. They looked normal enough to her.

 

The vampire groaned. “There. You are.” she said between breaths. “I guess you’re not dying again after all.”

 

Lapis frowned, resting a hand on Peridot’s knee. She didn’t move to remove it. “You’re kinda right.” Lapis said with a shrug. “You missed me getting strangled earlier. Next time I’ll put you on facetime or something.”

 

Peridot scoffed, coughing as she tried to laugh. Looking up at Lapis, she smirked. “So,” she said, “What are you doing here then? Actually, how did you manage to find me?”

 

Lapis bit her lip. “Uhh,” she said, “Okay don’t laugh. A weird invisible thing in my head dragged me over here? Actually it took me all over the place, but eventually it dragged me over here.”

 

“That’s because I was running around all over the place.” Peridot deadpanned. Lapis blinked and tilted her head. Sighing, the vampire pressed a hand to her face. Wincing, she remembered that touching her face hurt like hell. “I. You’re not the only one who gets those, feelings. Mine told me to go find you, just. I had no idea where you were and I got lost.”

 

Lapis frowned. Carefully, she took her hand and put it on the vampire’s shoulder. Peridot flinched at the touch, but leaned in a bit to the touch. “So,” she said, closing her eyes, “Why are you here?”

 

Blushing, Lapis bit her lip. “I. I had a really bad feeling and I didn’t know what it was.”

 

Peridot cracked open an eye. She scrunched her brow. "And you followed it? Don't you remember the last time you did that?"

 

"I did. I was worried."

 

Peridot stared back, eyes wide and jaw slack. She turned away from Lapis, hiding her face as best she could. "Wow, thanks." she mumbled. 

 

Lapis smiled a bit.  "You're welcome. Why are you here anyway?"

 

Peridot groaned. “I was worried. Thought something happened to you.” she mumbled. Lapis felt her shoulder shake a bit.

 

“Wait, wait a second. You’re a vampire. And its day. Are you supposed to be outside right now?”

 

“Nope.” Peridot laughed, “I don’t agree with sunlight very much. And before you ask, no that stupid, turns to dust thing is a myth. Still hurts like hell though.”

 

Lapis looked around, a million plans running through her head. “Okay, uh. Geez, can you stand?” Peridot snorted. “Okay, uh here.” Turning around, she squatted in front of Peridot. Waving her hands behind her, she motioned towards herself. “Grab onto my neck.”

 

Peridot griped for a moment before reaching out with her hands. Lapis felt sleeves go around her neck and legs wrap around her waist. Grunting she stood up, holding onto Peridot’s legs as tightly she could while still being gentle. As she lifted the girl, she realized that Peridot was unusually light. Lighter than you would expect from a grown woman. She felt a chin on her shoulder. Labored breathing pressed against her back.

“Where are you taking me?” Peridot muttered into Lapis’s ear.

 

“My place. It’s not too far from here. Will you be alright?” she asked. Peridot hmmed into Lapis’s ear and she took that as a yes. Taking a breath, Lapis started to run off towards her apartment. The sun beat down on her, but she didn’t feel the heat. She forgot the complaints her body had, and all concerns she could think of melted away. The only thing she could think of was the vampire clinging to her for dear life, and how terrifyingly fragile she seemed.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It took about ten minutes, but she ran up the stairs to her apartment and figured a way to open the door. The shutters were still mostly closed, but she could see through the dim light that cut through the shadow. Closing the door behind her, she walked over to her couch and gently lowered Peridot onto a cushion. Letting out a breath, she ran off to the kitchen.

Peridot came to as Lapis left. Groaning, she sat up and ran a hand through her hair. Looking around she took in her surroundings. It was nice. Much nicer than Peridot expected when she met Lapis. There was a glass coffee table in front of a decent sized television. Art covered the walls, all some sort of modern art that she didn’t understand. It felt cozy, and she almost wanted to take a nap.

 

She blinked back to awareness as Lapis returned. She found a cup of water placed in front of her and Lapis standing in front of her. “Hey.” she said. “I don’t know if it does anything for you, but drinking water helps with heat stroke. I think.”

 

Peridot looked at Lapis and slowly nodded. Taking the cup in her hand, she downed the water as if she hadn’t drank anything in weeks. Which, in retrospect, wasn’t too far off. Sighing, she put the cup back on the coffee table. “Um,” she started, fiddling with her sleeve, “Thank you.”

 

Lapis smiled and sat next to the girl. Peridot flinched, but didn’t attempt to move. “Well, this is embarrassing.” she said, looking away. “There goes my carefully crafted intimidating vampire rep.”

 

Chuckling, Lapis drew her legs up to her chest. “Well, I mean. If it helps, you seem super badass to me. What other vampire would willingly run into mid-day sun during the summer?”

 

“A really stupid one.”

 

Lapis tapped against her shoulder. “Or... Well, I guess you got me there.” she said, laughing softly. Tapping her feet, she cleared her throat. “I, uh. I learned about the bite.”

 

Peridot looked back, eyebrow raised. “You learned more about it? I didn’t think you ran to the library.”

Shaking her head, Lapis smirked. “If I ever willingly go to one of those, you’ll feel my suffering first hand. I just asked someone who knew. Turns out my pseudo-mom is a homunculus or somethin.” Laughing without humor, she fell back against the cushions. “I guess I’m just lucky that Pearl knew about vampire bites.”

 

Peridot choked a bit. “Did you say Pearl?” she said, slightly slack jaw. Lapis looked back confused before getting shushed. “Actually nevermind. Forget I said anything.” Letting out a groan of frustration, she slumped deeper into the cushions. “So, I guess you know now. I guess at least now I don’t have to explain most of it.”

 

Lapis snorted. “Yeah, you sucked at that.” Lapis felt a wimpy punch to her side. “But, I still don’t get it.”

 

“What don’t you get?” Peridot said, sitting up properly. “Did she leave out the soul mixing part because that’s the hard p-”

 

“No no, I. Yeah, I’m still processing that but she explained it.” Lapis said, shaking her head. “What I mean is, why would you do this?” Peridot looked away.

 

“What, are you telling me you wanted me to kill you?” she grumbled.

 

“Probably not.” Lapis said, stretching out. “But I mean, why did you care? Wouldn’t it have been easier to let Jasper eat me? And I mean, why almost fry yourself trying to find me? You could have died.”

 

Peridot shifted uncomfortably. Silence fell upon the room. Lapis found herself really wanting to take everything back all of a sudden. As she opened her mouth to talk, she got cut off.

 

“I wasn’t about to let you get killed.” Peridot said. “I know, you’re a random person but. That’s all the more reason I couldn’t just let you die in front of me. I mean, I’m just one person yeah. But I didn’t want anything to happen to you.” Shrugging, she turned back to Lapis.

A warm feeling sparked in her gut, and Lapis found herself smiling. “You’re some kind of hero, huh?”

 

“Hah. I should get more tights then.” Peridot snarked.

 

The two laughed for a minute as the tension started to ease. Sitting together, they enjoyed the quiet before Lapis spoke up. “Hey, how are your sunburns?”

 

Peridot groaned. “Don’t remind me, I was starting to get used to the pain. Also for the record, it’s not just burning. I burn, I can’t use my powers, and I have terrible eyesight. That last part is mostly me but, whatever.”

 

Lapis hummed. “And that’s on top of your powers being… restricted by the bite thing?” A shrug was her answer. “So, if you get your powers back fully. Would that help you heal up properly?”

 

Peridot turned to Lapis, looking like the girl had sprouted wings. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

 

"Well, you're not in the sunlight now." Lapis shrugged and looked back with a smirk. “What, you afraid to take a bite out of me again?”

 

Peridot snickered into her sleeve. “Don’t tell me you have sort of biting fetish.” She got a gentle shove for that.

 

“Look, I’m not sure what you were thinking but like. You saved me, one and a half times.” Rubbing the back of her neck, she shrugged. “I’m pretty sure this is the least I could do.”

 

Peridot looked away, trying to hide her face. “Okay, um. Here’s another vampire fact. This is really embarrassing for me when we’re not in imminent threat of death. I have already embarrassed myself too much today.”

 

Lapis sighed and scooted closer to Peridot. “Look, you’re making this weirder than it has to be. Come on, get over here.”

 

Peridot swallowed as the space between them shrank. Biting her lip she turned to face Lapis face to face. Each breath rolled over the other’s face; warm on Peridot’s face, cool on Lapis. Peridot watched as Lapis came closer, a blush rising to her face. Peridot looked at her neck and to her face. “Are you sure?” she mumbled. Lapis nodded, pulling down her shirt’s collar, revealing more tan skin. Peridot swallowed and leaned in. Bracing herself, Lapis bit her lip. And then the bite happened.

It lasted for a moment, but for Lapis it felt like, well not an eternity. Probably a really good five minutes. Sparks went off in her eyes as she closed them. Something warm spread through her body as the fangs sank in. The warmth in her stomach spread, mixing with the new feeling in her chest. Reaching out she pulled Peridot closer as the bite ran its course. Arms wrapped around her, securing a tight yet gentle hug. They stayed that way until Peridot pulled out. Smiling, Lapis shook her head and looked at her as the feeling passed. Peridot leaned away, fangs in and wounds closing at a rapid rate. Looking back to Lapis she smiled.

“Thanks. I really did need that.”

 

Lapis smiled and flopped onto the rest of the couch. “Yeah, well. We’re even now. Just, no more surprises? I don’t think I’d survive another shocking revelation.”

 

Peridot snorted. “I’ll try and keep you in the loop. You feeling okay though?”

 

“Yeah, pretty good actually.” Lapis said stretching out. “So, I’m guessing this won’t be a one time thing, huh?”

“I thought you said you wouldn’t make it weird.” Peridot said, leaning back on the couch. “But it would simplify things. So I guess you need to get used to seeing me.”

 

Lapis sighed with a smile and shrugged. “Alright, well. Let’s start over properly.” Sitting up, she straightened out her posture and held a hand out to Peridot. “Hi, I’m Lapis. Do you want to be friends?” she said with a shit-eating grin.

 

Peridot looked at the hand and at Lapis. Matching her smile she took the hand in her own. “Sure. I’m Peridot. Is this the part where we start painting each other’s nails?” she laughed as Lapis shoved her shoulder.

Smiling, she stuck her tongue out at the vampire. “Bite me.” she laughed, leaning on Peridot’s shoulder.

Peridot smirked and flicked Lapis’s nose. “Already did. Contain yourself.” she mumbled. As the two sat there, shoulder to shoulder on a couch that was far too soft, the world seemed to slow down for a minute. Exhaustion hit them both and Peridot felt a soft pressure on her shoulder. Looking over she saw Lapis, head on the shoulder, soft smile on her face. Smiling, Peridot leaned against Lapis and let her eyes close.

  
As she drifted off to sleep, she saw blue hair in her eyes instead of dark brown. She smiled. The knot in her chest loosened a bit. Letting out a sigh, she rested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the break Lapis probably earned at this point. I hope you enjoy the fluff. Meanwhile, I'm glad I don't have to do any more introductory exposition for a long time.
> 
> Anyway, I had fun writing this, and I can't wait to show you all the next part. There's been a distinct lack of punching so far. Maybe I'll fix that.
> 
> And before I forget again, here is some fanart!  
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BMELLUTBS56/ by JackLantern  
> http://cloudyfeline.tumblr.com/post/151958079023/inspired-by-the-bite-me-fanfic-by-zaltia-on-ao3 by Cloudyfeline
> 
> They're awesome and you should totally check them out. 
> 
> Also, we passed 200 kudos and 2k views. You all are awesome and I'm humbled that so many people enjoy this. Thank you all, and I hope to continue to entertain you all. So, see you next chapter.


	7. In which Lapis sleeps too much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis is a worrier.

Lapis woke up to an empty couch. Cushions squeaked under her as she stretched. The sun had gone to bed, leaving the room in light shadow. Half her inner Lazuli chewed her out for falling asleep all afternoon. The other half felt kinda sad to wake up alone. The apartment always felt too big by herself. Sighing, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

 

When the room stopped being blurry, she noticed a scrap of paper on her table. Reaching over, she picked it up as a strand of blonde hair fell from it. She stood and walked over to the light switch, flooding her empty space with light. Leaning against the wall, she skimmed the note.

 

_ Lazuli, _

_ You snore. I don’t know if anybody ever told you but it was like sitting next to a broken vacuum cleaner jammed in a lawnmower. You looked peaceful so I didn’t wake you. I had stuff to do, but I took the liberty of messing around in your kitchen before I left. You’re out of salt. The food’s in your microwave, and do yourself a favor. Clean out that disgusting mess you call a fridge. You don’t refrigerate ramen packets. Try not to do anything stupid. _

_ -Peridot _

_ P.S. You’re a clod. _

 

Lapis rolled her eyes as she finished the letter. Peridot scrawled a rough set of numbers that was probably her phone number. She fished for her phone in her pockets. When she pulled it out, she noticed some new texts from Steven. The big lug had sent her half a dozen puppy videos to help her ‘get well soon’. Smiling, Lapis sent back a smiley. As she walked to the kitchen, she started punching in Peridot’s digits. She sent a text.

 

**Me** (8:45) : Peridot?

 

Putting the phone on the counter, she opened the microwave. The smell of roasted chicken worked its way into her nose down to her stomach. If she wasn’t hungry before, her stomach kicked her until she was. Next to the microwave was a bowl with rice, covered with a paper towel. She admitted, it looked a lot better in a bowl than sitting in a sack next to her fridge. Lapis felt happy for the rice. Somebody went through the effort to cook it. Closing the microwave, she started to nuke the poultry as her phone vibrated.

 

**Unknown** (8:48): I assume this is Lazuli?

 

**Me** (8:48): Nope, it’s the IRS. We’ve come to seize your barn and all the cows you’ve been holding hostage.

 

**Unknown** (8:49): Okay, so it is you.

Lapis snorted and properly put Peridot’s number into her phone. The microwave beeped and she grabbed her dinner as a text popped up on her phone.

 

**Nibbles** (8:51): Don’t tell me you just woke up.

 

Lapis plopped onto the couch, food on the table in front of her. Positioning herself in front of the t.v. she put on whatever didn’t make her think. Torn between the Bachelor and the news, she settled on fictional dating.

 

**Me** (8:52) : Okay, I won’t.

 

**Me** (8:52): By the way, thanks for making me dinner. Why do you know how to cook?

 

The chicken tasted like someone force fused a chicken and a spice rack together. Just, instead of a horrifying amalgamation, everything worked together. It felt like until now she’s lived on saltine crackers. She didn’t even remember having a spice rack. She needed to clean the kitchen.

 

The phone buzzed again.

 

**Nibbles** (8:53) : Your fridge had less real food than the dollar menu. I wanted to see if you could make something edible out of that place.

 

**Nibbles** (8:53) : And for the record, I can still eat. I’m allowed to have hobbies aren’t I?

 

**Me** (8:53) : Not going to lie, I assumed you played video games or something.

 

**Nibbles** (8:54) : Do dating sims count?

 

**Me** (8:54) : I changed my mind, feed me to the werewolf. I can’t be associated with this.

 

Smiling, she kept watching as the bland mannequin of a contestant took another beautiful woman on a date. She looked at her phone and changed Peridot’s nickname again.

 

**Count Suckula** (8:55) : You’re just jealous that I know how to talk to women.

**Me** (8:56) : Doesn’t count if they don’t have a pulse.

 

**Count Suckula** (8:56) : That’s speciesist. I’m personally offended.

 

**Me** (8:57) : You should get your waifu to make you feel better.

 

**Me** (8:57) : Also, why’d you leave early? Actually when did you leave?

 

Lapis played with some chicken before chomping down on it. It felt good eating something that wasn’t fried, salt encrusted or tuna. She needed to thank Peridot for making it delicious. As she looked down, the typing bubble kept pulsing. 

 

**Count Suckula** (9:00) : I had to meet somebody. I don’t like being late. And about 8.

 

**Me** (9:01) : Responsible, I like it. Speaking of meeting up, when can I see you again?

 

She waited another few minutes as Peridot typed.

 

**Count Suckula** (9:05) : What, do you miss me already?

 

**Me** (9:06) : If you can cook like this all the time, then yes definitely. But also I had some questions and stuff.

 

**Count Suckula** (9:07) : It’s Monday tomorrow right? I have something to do in the afternoon. Are you free in the evening or do you have work or school or, whatever?

 

Lapis bit her lip as she stared at the screen.

 

**Me** : Nah, I’m just a freeloader. I got plenty of free time.

 

She erased that message.

 

**Me** (9:08) : I’m not super busy tomorrow. Want to walk me to your barn?

 

**Count Suckula** (9:08) : Sure. Think you can not get into trouble for one day?

 

**Me** (9:09) : I wouldn’t place money on it. If I end up in a flaming ditch somewhere, I’ll text you.

 

**Count Suckula** (9:10) : Clod.

 

Laughing, she put the phone down and stared at the empty plate in front of her. She poked at the plate and wished she could magic up some more. Waving her hand she muttered “Ala ka zing.” The plate didn’t get the memo. Sighing she leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. The television kept buzzing, some sort of game show was on. She tuned out the ringing bells and audience screams as she closed her eyes. 

 

“One of these days I’ll do something cool.” she mumbled to herself. She let herself sit on that couch, digesting her first real meal in a while. It helped her forget the tuna casserole which her body doesn’t recognize as real food. Eventually, she got up, took the plate to the sink and went to bed. She needed the energy for another exciting day.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ A filter covered her eyes. The darkness buzzed around her, static melding against black. She tried to move, she tried to speak. Nothing. As she looked ahead, she saw a figure. It ran towards her. A muffled voice called out somewhere. It sounded like Peridot. _

 

_ The figure ran faster, seeming to reach out. Movement around it. Shadow fell over the figure. The figure fell to the ground. Peridot’s voice in the void. Indiscernable, it was breathy and desperate. Words slithered past her ears, desperate and pathetic. The shadows moved more. _

 

_ Red stained her vision, and something hit her face. Warmth, red. It dripped down her chin, blotting on her hands. Blood. Peridot’s voice got louder, begging for something. More red. She couldn’t see the shadows anymore. Sobbing rang through. More warmth splattering the face. _

 

_ Then the sound of screaming filled her ears. Peridot’s voice, shrieking and breaking. More red, more warmth. Something touched her. The red wiped from her eyes. Dark yellow glared down on her. A wide smile, white and shining. Laughter came and mixed with the screaming. The teeth spread open and the screaming intensified. The teeth came closer and closer as- _

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lapis fell out of bed. Eyes wide open, she lay on her floor. Her heart pounded against her ribcage. Her lungs worked overdrive. She felt like she had ran a mile. Sitting up, she put a hand to her head. It felt like her brain was about to burst out of her skull. Breathing in and out, she took sat on the ground trying to right herself.

The pain disappeared faster than it came. Still sitting on the ground, she leaned back against her night stand and closed her eyes. Letting out a sigh, she tried to stand up. Peridot’s screaming voice still rang in her ears. She looked onto the nightstand and grabbed her phone. According to it, it was half past two in the morning, and she had full energy in Candy Crush. Sitting on the side of her bed, she opened her texts.

 

**Me** (2:38) : Hey, you up?

 

She yawned as she watched the screen. A typing bubble popped up at the bottom for a moment before it disappeared. Sighing to herself, she put it back on the table. Peridot was probably busy or trying to sleep if vampires did that. She looked at her phone again as she tucked herself under the covers again. Still no responses. Sighing to herself, she snuggled into the blanket.

 

“I’ve been way too stressed,” she muttered into her pillow. “She can take care of herself. She’d call me if anything was happening.” she mumbled as she fell back asleep.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Absolutely nothing was happening. She woke up late. Her phone didn’t go off in the slightest. Sighing to herself, she tried to think of something to do. Steven had school. Sadie had work. Peridot was supposed to be busy till evening. She groaned when she realized how short her list of friends was. Getting up, she figured, it might be fun to go out and do something that’s not sitting around, waiting for something to happen. 

 

She hadn’t been to the boardwalk in ages, but somehow all the stores and rides managed to be whole new kinds of dull. She walked past the roller coaster she spent too much time on, the cotton candy stall she ate too much and the corner where she threw up the excess cotton candy. It felt good being in one of her favorite hang out spots. The problem was, everything felt slightly off. The paint seemed a shade too faded, the food not fragrant enough. She shrugged it off as stress. Thankfully for her, there was one place that never failed to entertain her.

 

She reached the Funland Arcade with a smile on her face. Wondering if Mr. Smiley still had that picture of her and Steven with the giant lion plush they won, she walked inside. Lights and sounds flooded her senses. Her heart beat along with the dancing game. The flashing screens sent spots across her eyes. That popcorn smell that Mr. Smiley could never completely get out found its way into Lapis’s nose. Taking a long stale popcorn filled breath, she headed over to the change machine.

 

Pocket full of quarters, she headed over to her baby. Lonely Blade 2 sat in the corner, ignored by the teenagers and children in the building. Cracking her knuckles, she paid her fare and selected, of course, Lonely Blade with the blue skin. Taking the arcade stick in her left hand, she relaxed as the screen started to load. 

There was this kind of peace that you only got while doing a twenty hit combo against a computer. Character sprites loaded and the timer started. She stopped thinking and let her fingers move. Lonely Blade dashed across the field, covering the screen with sword slashes and shockwaves. She entered the zone, performing combos that came as natural as breathing. The numbers on the screen kept rising as she kept inputting pattern after pa-

 

“Well, if it isn’t Lapis Lazuli!” a voice boomed from behind her. Jumping out of her focus, she flailed and watched as Lonely Blade got slammed into the ground repeatedly. GAME OVER flashed across the screen as she turned to the voice.

 

“Hey Mr. Smiley.” She said, half groaning half smiling. “Any chance you’ll give me a quarter to make up for the game you just cost me?”

 

Mr. Smiley laughed, voice reverberating through the arcade. He smoothed out his Hawaiian shirt and smiled to Lapis. “Haha, that’s a good one Lapis.” he said. “You know that’s not how it works around here.”

 

Lapis rolled her eyes and leaned against the arcade cabinet. “You can’t say I don’t try.”

 

“That I can’t Lapis. By the way, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you by yourself.” he said, smile faltering for a moment. “Is your partner in crime doing alright?”

 

“Yeah, he’s just going to highschool like a ‘responsible adult’” she said, flicking her fingers for air quotes.

 

The arcade owner let out a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s a relief. I heard the news this morning and I was worried.”

 

Lapis stood up a bit. “Wait, news? What news?”

 

“You still don’t watch the news? They found a body this morning.” He said, smile dropping as he looked away. “Young kid, pale and blonde. Girl looked probably around your age. Maybe Steven’s. Said it was hanging from a tree or something. Slashed up really bad.”

 

Paling, Lapis stood up. With a hand she touched her neck. Her pulse throbbed against her fingers. “Do they know who it is?”

 

Smiley shook his head. “Nope, not a clue. Body was mangled beyond recognition. They said it looked like a bear attack or something. Poor thing. I’m just glad you and Steven didn’t get hurt or nothin. I know you two like to go out adventuring after dark, just. You might want to take a break for now. I don’t want to be reading about either of you in tomorrow’s paper.”

 

“Right, uh right.” she said, thoughts going a mile per hour in her head. There was a body, check. Something had mangled it. Someone mangled her. Someone also had giant freakish claws. Someone slashed up a girl that looked around her age. Someone was also really pissed off at-

 

“Uh, thanks Mr. Smiley. I just remembered, I have something that I have to be at!” she shouted, running out the arcade. Smiley stood back in confusion, but just watched the young lady run out the door. Sighing, he turned back to the machine. She still had two more credits put in.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Lapis stopped outside the boardwalk, catching her breath. Worry and anxiety clogged her lungs, but with each breath a little bit went away. One minute and one clearer head later, she tried doing the thinking thing again.

 

She knew that they found a body, yes. She knew that it was a girl who looked her age. Pulling out her phone, she tried googling the article. The news was as helpful as she expected. No description, no details. To Lapis it felt like, like trying to ask a mirror for advice. It didn’t tell you anything you didn’t already know, but it was kind of pretty too look at if not samesy. Taking another breath she listened to her brain again instead of her heart. She opened up her texts. Still no response from this morning. She started typing.

 

**Me** (4:05) : Hey, if you died I would know right?

 

She tapped her fingers on a railing. She had that stupid thing in her head, right? It would’ve let her know of a vicious mauling. But she was asleep till one. Did that thing work while she was sleeping? She didn’t know. But there was that nightmare she had. But it was alright, Peridot’s a badass vampire. Who was screaming in that nightmare. Who also was weaker than usual. Like maybe weak enough that she couldn’t handle something huge and angry coming at her in the middle of the night.

Lapis fidgeted, looking down at the messenger. Silence. Another minute. More silence. Taking another deep breath, she decided to let her brain cool it for a minute. Her heart took the steering wheel and rang the panic alarm. She didn’t know what was happened but she was worried. Super worried. She had to go check to see if Peridot was alright. Running down the sidewalk, she hoped to whoever was up there that feeling in her stomach was wrong. She hoped that she was just overreacting because of her anxiety. She hoped she remembered the way back to the barn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aint I a stinker?
> 
> Sorry for the short-ish chapter. I tried making it longer, but that was the only good cut off point I could find. So, hopefully this chapter is alright, I kinda like it.
> 
> Life's been kicking me in the butt real hard lately, so sorry if my chapters aren't my usual level of fun. Real talk though, thank you for all your comments and kudos. It's that stuff that makes me want to keep writing. So, again thank you for all of that. 
> 
> Make sure to let me know what you think about this week's chapter. Kudos, comments, telling your friends and family and dog. The usual. I'll see you next week.


	8. In which Lapis almost gets lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis has a terrible sense of direction

 

It was longer than she remembered. It took her the better part of an hour, but eventually trees started looking familiar. As she walked down the sidewalk, phone in hand she bit her lip. For the tenth time that day, she tried to rationalize to herself.

 

Okay, maybe she was overreacting. Peridot had to be fine, right? She saved Lapis’s butt before, so she could handle herself. But she also seemed the responsible type so she’d respond to her phone by now, right? Or maybe she was really just busy. Rubbing at her forehead, she groaned. “I really need to go back on my meds.” she moaned at the sky.

 

The sky didn’t have anything meaningful to say, so she turned back to her phone. Still radio silence. That didn’t help. She picked her pace up as disaster scenarios played in her head. Like a really terrible movie night planned by a serial killer, she watched gruesome scene after scene play in her head. She needed to stop watching slasher movies.

 

As she looked for something familiar, she scrunched her eyebrows. “Okay, think Lazuli, think.” she muttered to herself, closing her eyes. “When you ran out of there, you were where? Right, a forest. There was a dirt path, and it. The sidewalk?” Letting out a frustrated groan, she threw her head back. She didn’t even remember how she got to Steven’s house from the barn in the first place. How the heck did she even get there and not remember how she got there? “Why couldn’t she just live in an apartment like a normal person!?” she shouted to the sky.

 

“Prolly cause it’s more fun?” the sky answered back. Lapis jumped at the voice. To the side, sitting under a tree was a girl. She smiled, well half her face did. The other half was covered with black hair that was way too long. Holding a soda in one tan hand, she took a long sip. Lapis couldn’t help but stare at the torn up jeans and t-shirt. They looked like hand-me downs from a paper shredder but it worked in its own way.

 

“Sorry, I have no idea what you’re talkin about.” the girl said. “Probably shouldn’t have butted in. But I mean, you looked like you were going to stress yourself into a coma. I kinda had to bump in.”

 

“Oh, uh yeah.” Lapis said, scratching at her head. She really needed to start paying attention while she walked. “Sorry, I’m just looking for my friend and I got lost. You wouldn’t have happened to see a short angry blonde girl have ya? Five feet tall, seems to only wear green. Looks like she could pass for a vampire.”

 

The girl nodded, taking a long sip. “Yeap, sure have.”

 

Lapis did a double take. “Wait, you have? Where is she?” she almost shouted

 

The girl’s eye looked Lapis over before stopping over her neck.  Smirking, the girl chugged the rest and crushed the can. “Well, last person I knew who matched that description was P-dot.” she said.

 

“What’s a Pee d- Wait, you mean Peri-”

 

“Yeah, Peridactyl. Oh man, you must be Lapis.” the girl said with a laugh. Standing up, the girl snorted before tossing the can behind her. “I gotta admit, did not expect you to be quite the looker.”

 

Blushing, Lapis stammered halfway between embarrassed and confused. She settled on confarrassed. “What, but who. How do you know. What do you mean?”

 

The girl walked up and patted Lapis on the shoulder. “Hey hey, no worries. I’m a friend of hers. So yeah, you didn’t out the whole vampire thing. Try not to do that too much, okay?” she smiled. Lapis blushed and nodded. “And dude she would not stop going on about you. You do look like someone who talks in her sleep. Oh wait a minute. Sorry, sorry. I’m Amethyst.” She said, tossing her bangs with her off hand. “Peri will tell you more if you ask her. I’m guessing you’re looking for the barn?”

 

Lapis stood there, gaping as her brain struggled to compute. A pat to the side of her arm shocked her out of it.

 

“You’re almost there. Down the dirt path behind me, follow it and you can’t miss the barn. Ya dig me girl?” she said with a smile. Lapis blinked and nodded her head. “Sweet. Well, I’ll check you later Lapis. Take care of home girl for me, okay?”

 

With that, Amethyst shot finger guns at Lapis and walked away. Lapis was left behind standing in the middle of a sidewalk. Shaking off the conversational hit and run, she stowed the questions in the back of her head. Breathing in and out, she felt the tension slightly lift off her chest. Turning to the forest, she ran down the dirt path.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The walk took longer than she thought it would. It was at least six by the time she almost arrived. The path went through the forest, uphill until the trees began to thin out. As she exited the tree-line she stared off at the field that, she honestly didn’t know existed. She and Steven, per Pearl’s orders, weren’t allowed too far into the forest outside the city. So, the fact that there was this huge grassy area walking distance from the city both baffled and awe-struck her.

Grass came up to her waist, covering almost as far as the eye could see. The sun almost set, setting the sky ablaze with a burning glow. In the distance she saw the barn, standing above the plants like some redneck castle. She really wished she paid more attention while she was running for her life.

 

Lapis swallowed and ran towards the barn. Thoughts continued to pile in her brain, drowning out the scenery around her. Could vampires bleed? Yeah, they totally do. The barn grew closer. Okay, but that girl said it was alright. Or was she messing with her? Maybe she was involved? Her heart pounded against her chest. Her lungs hurt. What if something happened to Peridot because of her? She skidded to a stop in the doorway to the barn.

 

Familiar grumbling came from down the center of the barn. Lapis took a step forward. A figure was standing, foot pressed against a generator. Another step. “Of all the freaking. Grahhhhh!” the girl in green half screamed as she pulled on the cord. Standing with both feet on the generator, she screamed like a constipated weasel. Or so Lapis thought. She was picking up speed. The girl jumped back to the ground, panting. She kicked the generator. “Stupid freaki-”

 

Peridot was cut off as arms wrapped around her and a body fell onto her. Her brain shorted out as anger and confusion and some unknown third emotion mixed. Flapping her lips, she looked down at the blue-haired girl who was half kneeling on the ground, half hugging her. Blinking, she struggled to make a cohesive sentence.

 

“The fuh-what?”

 

Nailed it.

 

Lapis held tight as she pressed her face into the hoodie. It probably should have been washed ages ago, but she didn’t complain. She smiled and started laughing. Holding Peridot tighter, she kept laughing as the tears started to form in her eyes.

 

Peridot reached into her endless well of emotional knowledge to console the crying girl who threw herself at her.

 

“Why the hell are you hugging me?”

 

Double nailed it.

 

Gently pushing Lapis off, Peridot kneeled to be face to face with the crying girl. The girl shook her head sobbing into her arm. Peri brushed Lapis’s hair from her face.

 

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong Lazuli?” she bit her lip and tried scooting closer. “Uh, don’t tell me. Food poisoning from last night?”

 

She chuckled and shook her head. Moving forward, she pressed her face against Peridot’s shoulder. The vampire froze at the touch and tried to figure something to do with her hands. She settled on trying to pull Lapis closer.

 

The two sat there in relative silence for a while. Rubbing her back, Peridot listened to the sobbing as it started to fade. Lapis’s shoulders kept shuddering but her breathing started to even out. She adjusted herself and tried looking at Peridot.

 

“Hey,” she muttered, “You need to pick up your phone.”

 

Peridot scratched her head and looked to Lapis. “Is this because I missed some texts or something? Because if that’s the case I’m going to have to renegotiate this friend-” A phone jabbed in her face cut that thought off. Grumbling, Peridot looked down at the texts on the screen. She went quiet again before looking back to Lapis. “I feel like I’m missing something.”

Lapis waved her hand. “Check the web browser.”

 

Peridot nodded and popped the app open. The news article reflected off her glasses as she scanned the page. She put the phone down. Scratching her head, she looked away. She pulled Lapis a bit closer.

 

“You worry a lot, don’t you?” she muttered, rubbing Lapis’s shoulder.

 

Lapis grumbled and bopped Peridot’s shoulder. “You don’t get to talk miss runs in the sun. Besides, the person looked like you apparently.”

 

Peridot raised an eyebrow. “Wait, they did? I didn’t see a description.”

 

Lapis grumbled. “Short girl, blonde and pale. Probably was wearing green. Looked like it got torn up by a bear or something.”

 

Humming to herself, Peridot put a finger to her mouth. She moved to stand. “I should go check it out. I’ll be back quick. They found the bo-” a tug at her sleeve stopped her. Turning, she saw Lapis, teary eyed, looking at her. She pulled Peridot’s sleeve harder and Peridot let out a sigh. “You’re really not going to let me go are you?”

 

Lapis glared at her. “I thought you were dead.”

 

“Well,” Peridot scratched her head, “I mean I technically am.”

 

“I’ve been trying to reach you all day.” she said.

 

“I mean, my phone died and my generator broke.” she muttered tugging at her collar.

 

“I ran all the way here.” she said. “And you want to run off into the afternoon when there’s something killing people out there?”

 

Peridot scratched at her arm. Sighing, she slumped back to the floor and wrapped an arm around Lapis’s shoulders. “You are such a worry wart. Okay, how about this, tonight I’m going to let you stay over. We’re going to spend all night talking about, well cute girls in my case I don’t know how you swing. And then tomorrow we can go check some stuff out. I won’t let myself out of your sight. Would that make you feel better?”

 

Lapis grumbled and tapped Peridot’s shoulder. “Will you feed me again?” she said.

 

Peridot snorted. “Sure, if you feed me too.” Looking at Lapis’s reaction Peridot laughed. “I’m joking. Well, mostly.”

 

“Mrah,” Lapis grumbled flopping onto Peridot’s lap. “Joke later, food now.”

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Lapis was convinced Peridot’s cheated. She doesn’t know how to cheat at cooking, but she did it. It started with Lapis standing behind her. Peridot washed some tomatoes and Lapis watched. She reached to help only to have a hand smack her away.

 

“Nu-uh. I saw your kitchen.” Peridot said with a frown. “There is no way I’m letting you victimize these innocent tomatoes.”

 

Lapis pouted. “Rude. And this is after I fixed your generator.” Lapis brushed some dust off her shirt. Years of friendship with Steven gave her a lot of random skills. Basic mechanics was one of them. Because someone had to help Pearl maintenance the car and it definitely wasn’t Steven.

 

“This is my way of saying thank you,” she said, drying off the produce, “because after that performance you definitely deserve to have edible food. Besides, I gave you the wi-fi password, didn’t I?”

 

Lapis grumbled and leaned against the counter top. “Yeah, about that. You made a wi-fi hotspot out of a lawnmower and a satellite dish. And it runs better than my connection back home. How do you not know how to fix a generator that’s older than me?”

 

Peridot grumbled as she shifted one of her hands. Pale short digits turned into long grey claws. The hand stretched like silly putty till it doubled in size. Lapis watched in a kind of terrified awe as she tossed the tomatoes with her normal hand. A blur of motion appeared in front of Peridot and the tomatoes were thoroughly diced. Another blur, this time next to Lapis, and a bowl was held under the tomato bits.

 

“Wow.” Lapis said, pinching herself. “Have you always been able to do that? I feel like I would have known about that.”

 

Peridot hummed and placed the bowl next to the sink. “It’s one of those vampire perks. It takes a lot out of me to fully transform, but I can do one hand without exhausting myself.”

 

Lapis tapped on the counter. “Sounds tiring. Don’t you need my blood or something to do stuff like that?”

 

Peridot pulled out a jar of tomato paste and started pouring it into a pot. “Well, yeah. I tried doing it after you ran yesterday. Didn’t work out too well.”

 

Picking up a spoon, Lapis tried to balance it on her nose. “So how can you do it now? You haven’t bit me in like a day.”

 

Peridot grumbled and snatched the spoon off Lapis’s nose. The filipina stuck her tongue out and Peridot rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well. From what I know if I don’t overwork myself I can make the effects last a while.”

 

“So, what’s your excuse for not being able to pull a generator cord?” Lapis stepped up and leaned an elbow on Peridot’s shoulder.

 

The smaller girl hissed and papped at the intrusive elbow. “I dare you to bring that up one more time Lazuli.”

 

“Or what, you’ll bite me?” She snorted as Peridot looked away nibbling her lip.

 

“I was going to say pour goat blood in the spaghetti sauce. At this point I think you want me to nibble on your neck.”

 

Lapis smiled and rested her chin on Peridot’s head. “Well in all fairness, you got really embarrassed and cooked for me last time it happened. I mean if that’s going to happen every time I will gladly take the biting.” Also it felt really good but she didn’t want to admit it out loud.

 

Peridot rolled her eyes and turned back to the pot. She froze for a second. Slapping herself on the forehead she groaned. “Oh my god, I’m out of ground beef. I can’t finish this recipe without beef ugh.” Taking the pot and shoving it in her fridge, Peridot adjusted her hoodie. “Okay, I’m going to run to the store and get some beef. And you’ll stay here and not light my house on fire.”

 

Lapis stretched out and looked to Peridot. Walking over she linked her arm around Peridot’s. The small girl let out a yelp and Lapis noticed a faint red color her cheeks. “Yeah, one thing about that. We are going to the store because your friend would rather not have another panic attack. Also I wanna grab a soda or something.”

 

Peridot opened her mouth to protest then bit her lip. Groaning again she bumped shoulders with Lapis. “Fine. Just pay for your damn candy this time. You are not shoplifting gummy worms again Lazuli.”

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Lapis said with an over exaggerated huff. Peridot rolled her eyes and started walking. Lapis followed suit as the two walked into the night.

 

They didn’t unlink arms at all.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“I can’t believe you drink that crap.” Peridot complained, walking out of the store with two shopping bags. Lapis followed suit with her own bag and a soda in hand.

“Hey, don’t you dare diss grape soda. It’s like a party in your mouth.” she said taking another swig.

 

“Are we talking college party or baby shower. Because it tastes like baby shi-.” she said. An elbow to her shoulder cut her off and the two started laughing. Together they walked down the sidewalk and Lapis looked up at the night sky. When was the last time she actually enjoyed a night walk? Shrugging, she brushed that train of thought out of her head. Especially the feeling that the smartass next to her was involved.

 

“See, now I get why vampires stay hidden. If everyone knew you had terrible taste, we’d have a real wa-” A scream rang through the night. Lapis froze mid sentence, looking at Peridot. The smaller girl grit her teeth before looking at Lapis.

“You wanna stop me again?” she said, grip tightening on the bags. Lapis took a look at her and took a deep breath. She shook her head. Peridot relaxed slightly. “Thank you. Come on, it came from the donut store!” she tore off running down the street. Lapis followed,  Strangely familiar screams still echoing in her ears.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I wouldn't kill Peridot off yet. Though I'm starting to love the ominous screaming that keeps happening.
> 
> Anyway, here's the new chapter you guys. I hope all of you are doing fine, especially after last tuesday. I coped by writing about lesbians.
> 
> Also, I am so glad to introduce amethyst. Well, kinda introduce her. You'll find out more about her soon. Probably. Insert comments and kudos for less unhelpful commentary. I'll see you guys next chapter.


	9. In which Lapis hates hospitals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis and Peridot have good timing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W: Blood.

The worst part of running was the anticipation. That was a lie, the burning lung sensation was way worse. But the second worst part was the freedom it gave your brain to think. As she ran, she had plenty of time to consider how many ways this could go wrong. It could be a false alarm, maybe there’s somebody with a gun. Can vampires deal with guns? Super speed is probably a good gun counter, but she doesn’t have her full super-

 

Her thoughts slammed to a halt when she rounded the corner. Peridot, keeping a good lead on her, vanished around the building corner. As Lapis turned a piercing roar shook her to her bones. She stumbled behind the wall of the donut shop and took in the scene before her.

 

On the left, leaning against the building was Sadie. Her purple uniform looked shredded. It dripped with some liquid as she held her stomach. She gasped and slumped to the ground, paler than usual. Peridot was in the center, groceries dropped to the ground and fangs out. She glared red irises at something that was facing them both. And to the right of the scene, shilouetted against the moonlight, was whatever did this to Sadie.

 

Lapis only caught a glimpse of it as it dashed away. It had a hunched back and seemed to run on all fours. She made out something like pointed ears that shot up above its head. The most vivid part she gleamed was its claws, glistening with blood and filed to a deadly point. As she saw the figure dash away, she swore it glanced back at her, and a chill ran down her spine.

 

Shaking off the feeling, she brought herself back into the now. Dashing forward, she ran to Sadie who was almost lying on the ground by know. Sliding to a stop in front of her, she tried to help her friend up. 

 

“Sadie,” she said, “hey. Sadie, look at me.”

 

The girl looked up, eyes struggling to stay open. “Lapis? Is… Is that you?” she coughed out. Something ran out the corner of her mouth and Lapis didn’t want to think about it. Her face was covered with scratches. There was a bite mark on her shoulder. She hadn’t ever seen anyone this rough before.

 

“Yes, yes it’s me.” she said, holding the other girl’s hand. She tried looking for a pulse and, it was there. Somewhat. She took a deep breath. Then another. Something warm leaked onto her shorts and she tried not to think about it. Swallowing she tried shaking Sadie. “Hey, stay with me, are you alright?”

 

Sadie coughed. Her breathing grew more labored as she tried to grab Lapis’s hand. “It.. I’m cold Lap. I, it hurts Lapis.”

 

Lapis paled, and bit her lip. Her pulse sped up and she looked around. They were behind the store, it was at least eleven in the evening. She, she knew that the ambulance would take a while. But she knew there was a hospital in the city right? She kept looking for something until her eyes locked onto the vampire. “Peridot!” she shouted.

 

Peridot was starting to sprint as Lapis’s voice rang out. Freezing, she turned back to Lapis and the bleeding girl. She took a look at her friend, brown eyes filled with panic and on the verge of tears. She turned back to where the monster ran off to. She could still hear some heavy footsteps heading off in that direction. Biting her lip, she ran a hand through her hair and let out a frustrated groan. Grabbing her groceries she ran up to Lapis and Sadie.

 

“Is she still awake, Lapis?” Peridot asked, holding Sadie’s arm.

 

“I, uh.” Lapis fumbled with her words. Fingers snapped in front of her and she shook her head. “Yeah, she’s still awake, but she’s lost of a lot of blood. Peridot, I. Do you know how to fix this?”

 

“I’m an accountant, not a doctor Lazuli.” she groaned, feeling Sadie’s neck. “Alright, okay she’s still breathing. Okay, there’s a hospital near here, right Lazuli?” she turned to Lapis. The panicking girl nodded. “Okay, quick give me your finger.”

 

Lapis blinked and held her hand out to Peridot without question. The vampire mumbled a quick thanks before taking Lapis’s middle finger into her mouth. Lapis didn’t have time to be embarrassed before she felt the pinch. Hissing in surprise, she pulled back as Peridot opened her mouth. Crimson coated her fangs as she licked her lips. Wiping herself with her sleeve, she reached down and put an arm around Sadie. 

 

Peridot sighed as she lifted the injured girl as gently as possible with one arm.  Holding out her other arm, she pulled Lapis close to her. Lapis grabbed the groceries and tried to make herself as small as possible as Peridot lifted both the girls.

 

“Holy crap, can you actually do this?!” she exclaimed as Peridot rolled her eyes.

 

“If you make a joke about my arms being short, I’m dropping you. Hold on tight, I’m going to run to the hospital.”

 

Lapis blinked and nodded. She started pulling her phone out to call the emergency room. Then she almost flew off Peridot as the world blurred around her. Wind flapped in her hair as she held onto the vampire. The environment around them sped past as Peridot dashed down the street. It was like the world’s scariest motorcycle ride. She made a mental note that super speed was terrifying and she should never challenge Peridot to a game of tag. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Thanks to Peridot, they made it to the emergency room in less than five minutes. Everything after that felt more like a blur. Lapis remembered them carrying Sadie into the hospital. Too many people in scrubs talking at her too quickly. She didn’t come to until she snapped awake in a stiff waiting room chair.

 

No matter how many times she went to the hospital, the same unsettled feeling filled her gut every time. Anaesthetic and floor polish always smelled the same. The tan and white walls loomed over her, making her feel shorter than Peridot. Also they never had anything good on the waiting room television, which made an unbearable wait even longer.

 

She sat in the chair, watching a rerun of Master Chef. Some home cook was crying again as the host berated her. Lapis tried to pay attention but she found her energy lacking. The stress from the situation left her, leaving her slumped in the chair. Her head rested on Peridot’s shoulder. The vampire hadn’t moved from the seat since Lapis leaned on her. She idly watched the television too, phone in hand.

 

“Why’s Gordon always so mad?” Lapis muttered next to Peridot’s ear. She sighed and leaned into the smaller girl.

 

“Because,” Peridot said, sliding her phone open again. “They’re supposed to be master chefs and they can’t even baste a turkey properly.” 

 

“What’s a baste?” Lapis muttered, idly thumbing Peridot’s sleeve.

 

Peridot sighed as she typed into her phone. “When we get back to my barn, I’m going to baste you a turkey.”

 

“That sounds dirty.” Lapis mumbled as she kept watching the show. She sighed as her brain started to kick back into the worry gear. The figure flashed in her mind again, and more blood covered her vision and she felt herself breathe faster.

 

A hand covered hers and she gasped. Looking up, her eyes met worried green. “She’s going to be alright.” Peridot said, mustering her best smile. “You told me about her after she got taken in by the doctors, right? She sounds incredibly resilient.”

 

Lapis snorted. “She broke her arm last year. She didn’t miss a day of work. Hell, she even covered that other guy’s shifts while she was at it.”

 

Peridot smiled. “Then she’ll be fine, we got to her on time.” Biting her lip, Peridot raised an arm and swallowed. Slowly, she moved the arm around Lapis’s shoulders and pulled her close. Both girls blushed a bit at the contact but Lapis relaxed a bit and moved into the hug. She took a breath and closed her eyes, listening to Peridot’s breathing.

 

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?” a voice behind them asked. 

 

The two practically fell out of their seats. Lapis and Peridot flailed, both beet red in the face. Turning to the voice, Lapis shook her head. “Uh, no I’m sorry Doctor.”

 

The doctor stood behind their seats, amused smile on her face and clipboard in hand. She chuckled a bit before brushing some of her hair from her face. “I’m sorry for surprising you.” the doctor said, “I just assumed you’d like to know that your friend, Sadie, is stable now.” She smiled as Lapis let out a relieved sigh. “I told her you were the ones who brought her here and she wanted to see both of you.”

 

Lapis stood up, Peridot holding onto her by the elbow. Lapis brushed herself off and nodded to the doctor. “Thank you so much Dr. Maheswaran.”

 

           “You should thank yourselves. You got her here just in time.” The Doctor said with a smile. “Considering her wounds, she’s lucky to be alive. You really should be proud ms…?”

 

“Lazuli.” Lapis said, stretching her back out. “Lapis Lazuli.”

 

“Lazuli, huh?” she muttered. The doctor nodded and put a finger to her chin. Realization dawned on her and she snapped her fingers. “Do you know a boy named Steven Universe?”

 

Lapis blinked and nodded. “Uh, yeah. He’s my best friend, why do you ask?”

 

“Oh, that makes sense. He talks about you all the time.” Dr. Maheswaran said with a smile. “I swear, he almost made Connie jealous. Do try and see her next time you’re with Steven. She is absolutely dying to meet you.”

 

“Oh, uh yeah.” she said, scratching at her neck. “Yeah, I would love to. I’ll talk to Steven about it later, I just um.”

 

“Of course.” the doctor said slowly nodding. “Down the hall, second left and three doors down. Make sure to knock before you enter, alright?”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

They remembered to knock. When they got there. About ten minutes later than they should have. Lapis and Peridot were good at navigation, most of the time. The problem was, the longer you looked at the same patterned walls and floor, you start forgetting if you passed that gurney or not. Thankfully with the help of a tired med student they found their way to Sadie’s room.

 

The room didn’t actually have a proper door. Being one of the emergency rooms it really had curtains for walls. She knocked on a hallway wall before stepping inside. There wasn’t much  inside but the bed and the IV, but Lapis still tried to watch her step as she walked in. She moved her way over to the bed in the center where Sadie lay, half asleep and covered in bandages.

 

“Sadie?” Lapis half-whispered as she came closer. Peridot followed behind her, not saying anything. The injured girl shook herself awake and looked up to the voice.

 

“Lapis? Well hey there,” she said with a tired smile. “The nurse told me that a blue haired girl dragged me into the emergency room. I guessed it had to be you.”

 

Lapis snorted and walked next to the head of the bed. “And you still asked me to come see you? You sure you didn’t hit your head too?”

 

Sadie laughed but winced with the exertion. Lapis reached over and placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. Sadie took a deep breath and tried to relax. “Trust me, with how I feel right now I wouldn’t be surprised with a concussion. Thank you though, I should have been a goner.”

 

Peridot stepped forward, adjusting her glasses. Frowning she stuck her hands in her hoodie. “You should thank Lapis, she’s the one who found you. I just chased off the…. Dog.” She bit her lip before saying the last word.

 

“Is that what it was?” Sadie said, adjusting her sitting position. “Well, that explains it. I don’t really remember what happened.”

 

Lapis gently rubbed Sadie’s shoulder. “Well, I know you’re still beat up and probably tired. We’d like to know what you remember, so we can tell the police. Don’t force yourself, alright?”

 

Sadie nodded and cleared her throat. “I can handle it Laz, don’t worry. I honestly don’t remember much. I was locking up after my shift at the Big Donut. Behind me I heard something rustling through the garbage. And then it jumped me. I didn’t really see much besides, claws and pointed ears. It had really large fangs too and, honestly that’s all I remember. I’m sorry I can’t help more.” she frowned as she finished.

 

“Hey, hey. You did great.” Lapis said, smiling at her friend. “We’ll take care of it from here, right Peridot?” The vampire grunted and nodded. Lapis turned back to Sadie. “So you just take it easy, alright Sadie?”

 

Sadie laughed and relaxed against the bed. “Hah, alright. Be careful out there then Lapis. Last thing I wanna see is this happening to you.”

 

Snorting, Lapis stood up straight and stretched. “Don’t worry, life hasn’t found a way to kill me yet. Don’t worry about me.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I really should stop worrying about you.” she said, closing her eyes. Waving Lapis closer, she whispered, “Speaking of, congrats with the girl.”

 

Lapis froze, blush on her face. “W-what are you talking about Sadie?” she stammered.

 

“Ah, come on Laz. I saw how you looked when you chased after her the other day.” Sadie grinned at her friend. “I’m just saying, congrats. I think she likes you too.”

 

Lapis felt the heat rising to her face as she groaned. “I, I just. Sadie, she’s just a friend! We literally met two days ago. Just, just get some rest alright!?” she whisper-shouted. Sadie laughed, moving into her sheets with a content smile. Lapis sighed and grabbed Peridot by the elbow.

 

“Hey, what are yo-”

 

“We’re going outside, come on.” Lapis said, dragging the vampire. That rushing burning feeling in her cheeks did not help in the slightest. Turning back, she saw Sadie wave her off with a smile. 

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It was chilly outside the hospital. Lapis hated the cold, but she had too many thoughts at the moment to care. She had found out about vampires and supernatural things less than a week ago, and already one of her only friends got hurt by one, well probably. That and also Sadie noticed the blushing she had around her vampire. Suddenly getting mauled by an angry animal didn’t sound like a terrible idea. Peridot stood next to her, tapping on her thigh.

 

“So,”  she said, brow furrowed in thought, “I’m guessing you wanted to come out here to talk?”

 

Lapis choked on her tongue and looked back. “What? I mean, I don’t know what you were thinking but. But yeah, uh Sadie, she-”

 

“I think she was onto something.” Peridot said, still not looking up. “I mean, she did notice some important stuff.”

 

Lapis coughed and scratched her head, looking away. “What, uh yeah. I mean, I don’t know she lost a lot of blood so she could be delirious. I wouldn’t think too hard about it.”

 

Peridot shook her head. “No, no I think she’s right.” she said. “She definitely described something that sounded supernatural. I’m not going to point fingers but, well I think we both have an idea who it could be.”

 

“Eh?” Lapis said, blinking in confusion.

 

“Well I mean, she almost killed you the other day, so it’s understandable.” she said, putting a hand on Lapis’s shoulder.  “Most people would get upset talking about it.”

 

Lapis sighed. “Yeah, uh right. That’s totally it.”

 

“Yeah, totally.” Peridot snickered. “Oh yeah, before I call Amethyst. I think it’s adorable how she thinks you have  a crush on me.”

 

Lapis hadn’t strangled anyone before. She felt very tempted to go back into the hospital and try. She settled on flustered mouth noises. “What are you even talking about?!” she exclaimed.

 

Peridot smirked at her. “Vampire hearing. It’s really useful. Oh yeah, right you don’t know about her. Amethyst is-”

 

“She’s a friend of yours, right?” she said, cutting Peridot off. The vampire looked at her confused as Lapis cleared her throat. “Yeah, I saw her today, on the way to your barn. She said you’d tell me about her later or something.”

 

Peridot blinked and shrugged. “Well, I’m glad I don’t have to introduce you to my ex myself. Anyway, she could probably help us with this.”

 

“Why am I not surprised that all your friends are magic creatures.” she grumbled. Peridot started to walk off and Lapis jogged to keep up. “Though she did say you’d tell me more about her if I asked. Wait. Did you say ex?”

 

“What, you’re surprised your ‘friend’ dated before?” Peridot said, air quotes and all. She looked up with a shit-eating grin. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous laz. Come on, she doesn’t live super far from here.” she said walking a bit faster.

 

“Who said I was jealous?!” Lapis shouted as she followed the vampire. If she wasn’t too busy yelling at Peridot, she probably would have realized that she was jealous. Just a tiny bit, deep inside her chest. It probably wasn’t going away any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I am so sorry this chapter is super late. You ever have that moment where life kicks you in the stomach and then just wails on you for half an hour? Yeah, that's been my week. And then Pokemon came out and that ate up way more time than it should have.
> 
> Anyway the next chapter will be out on Monday like usual, sorry for the delays. And uh, just between you and me. There's probably gonna be some fightin. So for those of you that don't enjoy violence, I'm just warning you ahead of time. And for those of you like me who grew up watching dragonball z, you're going to have a great time.
> 
> Also, happy Thanksgiving to anybody that celebrates it. Me? I'm thankful for food, lapidot and all the feedback I get for this fic. So uh yeah, I'd be double thankful if you guys lemme know how you liked this chapter. See you next chapter.
> 
> P.s. Yes, I watched Gem Harvest, and I dunno. I'm not really a fan of racist uncle Andy, but there was some quality lapidot moments. Just throwing it out there.


	10. In which Lapis should've brought a taser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot has a confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Violence, Blood, Anime-fighting.

Turns out Amethyst didn’t live too far from the hospital. Well, if you considered a twenty minute walk far, then you wouldn’t be happy. Like Lapis. Thankfully, time flew as she bombarded the vampire with questions. Peridot answered every inquiry with a calm and collected demeanor, with only the required amount of sarcasm.

 

“Okay, so run this by me again.” Lapis said, pinching the bridge between her eyes. “You used to date this girl.”

 

“Yeap.” Peridot said, adjusting her glasses. “You’re really fixated on that aren’t you?”

 

“Well, yeah I mean.” Lapis groaned and ran a hand through her hair. “You see these holes on my neck, right? These are apparently the only thing that kept me from being doggy chow!”

 

“Well, first of all they’re not holes. Secondly, yeah. Look as I explained it, there are a lot of magical creatures out there. And, to prevent mutual annihilation, we don’t want people to know about it.” She sighed and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “That’s why you were about three seconds from getting eaten by Jasper.”

 

“Yeah, see I don’t want her to be the one eating me.” Lapis grumbled. Looking over at Peridot’s smirk her face flushed. “I will hurt you. I will break your generator and erase your Netflix queue.”

 

Peridot paled slightly. “You know I haven’t finished Attack on Titan. Don’t you dare.”

 

Lapis smirked. “Spoiler warning. That favorite character of yours? Yeah, they die. I don’t even watch the show but I’m pretty sure they die.”

 

“I knew I should’ve let you get eaten.” Peridot grumbled, shoving Lapis in the shoulder. The taller girl grinned and shoved back.

 

“You’re welcome to do it if you want.” She said, snickering as Peridot started to blush. Blushing a bit herself, she bit her lip. She wasn’t sure if that crossed the boundary between joke and flirting but she was always bad at obeying traffic laws. “Uh, yeah. Back to what I was saying. Why is it that Amethyst knows about magic stuff and she’s not all bitten and stuff.”

 

“Because she’s on the need to know list.” Peridot said. “It’ll be easier if she explains. Also uh, one last thought before I forget. If you see Jasper, remember to pretend that you’re a meat puppet or something. I don’t want to know what’s going to happen if she realizes I tricked her.”

“Am I going to have to bite your neck too?”

 

Peridot glared back, face tinted red still. “Oh sure, you can try. If you can get to it before Jasper rips it out.”

 

Lapis frowned. “Jeez, you like, really don’t want to fight her aren’t you?”

 

Peridot grumbled, looking at the ground as they walked. “Well I mean. Yeah, I guess. I could easily take her before just. I can’t do anything without your blood. I can’t even use my telekinesis anymore. I get tired if I run too fast. I don’t know if I could do it.”

 

“It’s really hitting you, isn’t it?” Lapis said.

 

“More than you can imagine.”

Frowning, Lapis reached around to pull Peridot in by her shoulders. The vampire grumbled but allowed the hug. “Look,” Lapis said with a smile, “You’re a badass vampire. I mean, come on, you didn’t even flinch last time you saw her. I still see the same girl that saved my life here. And from what I’ve seen in the seventy-two hours I’ve known you, there is no way two hundred pounds of anger and muscle could take you down.”

 

Peridot looked up at Lapis. She stared into the girl’s eyes as Lapis continued to smile. Chuckling, Peridot shook her head. “You give the worst pep talks ever. Thanks.”

 

“I should have my own line of inspirational greeting cards.” Lapis said. 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

They approached a house, small and white but with the messiest lawn you’ve ever seen. It sat on the edge of town, near the old scrap yard. Rumor has it there used to be a huge bustling neighborhood there. Now what buildings were still occupied lay in disarray. The decorations hung around the roof’s edge, a weird mix of Christmas and Halloween decor, set this house apart. A pile of junk or two lay near the garage, car parts sticking out among rubber and other things. Through the windows a warm light shone, flashing ever so slightly.

 

The two approached, Lapis shivering a bit from anticipation. “Now, how exactly is Amethyst going to help us with the whole, monster who’s probably Jasper running around killing people, thing?” Lapis said with a frown.

 

“Uh, well okay. I guess I should probably tell you first, but uh.” Peridot said as she knocked on the door. “Amethyst is a were-puma and she’s Jasper’s sister.”

 

Lapis nodded before choking on her spit. “Wait, excuse me. She’s a were-what?! You didn’t think to mention it before! And, you dated Jasper’s sister!? And we’re here at their house to ask if Jasper’s been out killing people?! I, but. Whuu-”

 

“Sorry, I just didn’t want to scare you away. I thought you’d run off if I told you she was-” she said before the door opened and cut her off. In the doorway stood Amethyst, still wearing the same clothes Lapis saw her in this morning. Lights flashed behind her as some sort of video game music played in the background. She looked at the two of them and waved.

 

“If I was a werewolf?” Amethyst said with a smirk. She leaned against the doorframe. “Yo, you two look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

 

Peridot grumbled and straightened her back. “You’re not a wolf Ames, you’re a puma. There’s a difference.”

 

The shapeshifter rolled her eyes and smiled. “Hey, they both get the job done. Besides, wolf just rolls off the tongue better.” she turned to Lapis who jumped a bit. “And it looks like you found the barn alright. So, what can I do for you guys. It’s a bit late for a pizza party.”

 

The duo looked at each other and took a breath. Peridot turned to Amethyst, hands in her hoodie, frowning harder than usual. “Amethyst, have you been keeping up with the news recently?”

 

The Latina shook her head, brushing her out of her face. “Nah. I’m not really too big on international affairs, you know?”

 

“Good, cause this is local.” Peridot took off her glasses for a moment as she looked to Amethyst. “Amethyst, something’s been attacking people the past two days. They found a body yesterday and we stopped the second one just a few hours ago.”

 

Amethyst stood up, raising an eyebrow. “Shit man. Is it like a bear or something? Because if it is, I can help you take care of i-”

 

“It didn’t look like a bear.” Peridot cut her off. Amethyst deflated a bit. “I didn’t get a good look, but it definitely wasn’t a wild animal. Those don’t walk on two feet.”

 

“What are you implying?” Amethyst said, starting to glare at Peridot. Lapis swallowed and took an instinctive step back. The air around them grew heavy as the pressure started to build. The two stared down each other before Peridot opened her mouth.

 

“The first victim was pale, blonde and wore green.” Peridot said, putting her glasses back on. “The second was also pale and blonde. Now, normally I would call it a coincidence, but let’s assume it isn’t. Wild animals don’t have a pattern. Now if we assume it’s not a wild animal and it runs on two legs, it has to be someone supernatural. Someone who happens to want to hurt people that look like me.”

 

Amethyst’s eyes widened  and she shook her head. “I, no way. Peri that is some serial killer shit you’re talking about.”

 

Peridot let out a sigh. “I know, and that’s why I came with you. Because you know probably the only person in Beach City who dislikes me enough to kill people just to fuck with me.” Reaching forward, she touched Amethyst on the wrist. “Amethyst, where is Jasper?”

 

Amethyst recoiled as she shook her head. “No way, nu uh. Peridot, this is not funny. You can’t just show up here and accuse my sister of killing people.”

 

“Ames, do you know where Jasper is tonight?”

 

Amethyst stopped and looked down. Biting her lip she shook her head. “She left in the afternoon, and she didn’t tell me where. But that doesn’t mea-”

 

“And where was she last night?” Peridot asked, stepping a bit closer.

 

“I. She left that afternoon too. I mean, okay that is weird. But that’s not evidence Peridot. I just-” Peridot smacked the door frame with her hand. 

 

“Amethyst, someone is dead!” she shouted. Gritting her teeth she flashed fangs at Amethyst. Amethyst stepped back a bit before slumping her shoulders.

 

“I, I don’t know okay?! I mean, yeah it’s suspicious but she’s my sister Peridot! I can’t just assume she killed somebody!” Amethyst said gripping at her jeans.

 

Peridot breathed heavily. Her nails scratched the door frame as she removed her hand. Running it through her hair, she sighed. “I, I know. I’m sorry Amethyst, I. I got heated.”

 

Amethyst walked up closer to Peridot and sighed. “I’m sorry. I hit a nerve didn’t I?”

 

Lapis, who had been silently watching in fear until now, snapped out of it. She stepped forward and put her hand on Peridot’s shoulder. “We’re here to see if we can find out what happened, Amethyst. Honestly, I really hope it’s not Jasper too. We just want to talk to her before making too many wild assumptions.”

 

Amethyst nodded slowly. “I get it. Okay, I’m sorry. Okay, she headed out at like three o’clock. She’ll be back later tonight if you want to wait for her.”

 

“Why wait till tonight?”

 

Peridot and Lapis turned to the voice behind them. The light from the door spread into the night, illuminating the immediate area in front of the house. From the dark, a foot stepped into the light. Then another. A bag was tossed onto the ground, landing with a hefty clunk. Another step forward and the muscled figure came into view. Jasper had her hands in her pockets and wore a death glare on her face.

 

Peridot stepped in front of Lapis, holding a hand out instinctively. “Jasper. Fancy meeting you here.” she said, glaring back with equal ferocity. “We were just talking about you.”

 

“So I heard.” Jasper said. Looking over Peridot’s shoulder she locked eyes with Amethyst. “Runt, get inside the house.”

 

“Jasper?” Amethyst moved closer. “Did you hear what we were saying?”

 

“Inside. The house.” Jasper growled, locking eyes with Peridot again. The vampire smiled, baring fangs as Lapis started to back up.

 

“Sis? Tell me that they’re way off.” Amethyst said, clenching her hand into a fist. “Jasper, tell m-”

 

“Did you not hear me?” Jasper said, voice shaking through everyone present. “I don’t know what else she’s said, but I know she’s a liar. And she’s dangerous Amethyst. Get back inside the house before you get hurt.”

 

Peridot coughed out a laugh. “You know what, let’s just cut to the chase. The girl who got killed the other day. Did you do it or not? Follow-up question: If you did do it, please give me a reason not to hand you your ass on a platter.”  she said with a grin. Lapis looked at her smile but noticed how it twitched at the edges. Peridot wouldn’t be a terrible poker player.

Jasper looked at her and smiled.  Razor blade teeth lined her mouth as her grin widened. “You’re putting on a real brave face. But you can stop bluffing now, I know you can’t beat me.”

 

Peridot froze, gritting her teeth. Lapis felt this queasy nauseous sensation come over her, and after a second she realized it was coming from her link with Peridot. The vampire still smiled, confident and proud, not breaking gaze with Jasper.

 

“Well aren’t you confident. Wanna come over here and test that theory?” she said shifting her legs into something that resembled a stance.

Jasper chuckled, rolling her shoulders as she walked forward. “I’ve learned some things, Peridot. Like I know that your blue best friend over there isn’t actually brainwashed.” she said, looking to Lapis. Lapis felt the wide predatory eyes glare through her. Her heart stopped for a second. “I know that you faked it and thought you could trick me. I know that you’re a lot weaker now than you used to be. And I know what you did to that girl.” Jasper growled out, whipping a hand to her side. In a flash, fur covered that hand and the fingers stretched into wolf-like claws.

 

Peridot was breathing faster. She looked back at Lapis and back to Jasper. “How did you find out about what happened with Lapis? And the girl that died? What are you even talking about?”

 

Jasper’s breathing started to slow as her eyes narrowed. “A little birdy told me. Didn’t believe her at first, but when a body shows up it’s hard to deny. Peridot, I’m giving you one last chance now. Stand aside and let me finish that girl.”

 

Lapis felt her heart jump a few gears. She held onto Peridot’s hoodie tighter than she knew she could. The vampire stopped moving, slowing her breathing to match Jasper’s. “Jasper, you know me. You know I can’t kill a human.”

 

“I did. But I don’t know what to think anymore. Peridot, if you move, I’ll make sure to end it quickly. Then we’ll deal with the rest of the things you’ve done.”

 

Peridot exhaled, closing her eyes. She ran a hand through her hair, holding her palm to her skull for a second. She opened her eyes, dark red pupils piercing through Jasper’s gaze. “Over my dead body.”

 

“If you insist.” Jasper said before she disappeared in a blur of motion. 

 

Lapis gasped and fell back. In that same moment, Peridot disappeared in her own blur. The sound of thunder clapped in front of the house as Amethyst and Lapis struggled to keep balance. In the center of the lawn, Jasper and Peridot stood. Their fists were pressed against each other, Jasper’s lycan one comically large compared to Peridot’s fist. The two gritted their brows and another shockwave spread from them. Fists parted and Peridot blurred. Jasper coughed, a sneaker colliding with her stomach, sending her tumbling down the street. She caught herself, features becoming more canine as she almost howled.

 

Peridot almost floated back to the cement in front of the house. She crouched into a sprinting position and rocketed towards Jasper. The two clashed again, blows ringing out down the street towards the junkyard. It took maybe twelve seconds but both had completely disappeared from Lapis’s sight.

 

A hand shook her out of her shock. “Hey, they’re heading to the junkyard.” Amethyst said, starting to pull Lapis with her. “We gotta break it up before someone gets seriously hurt.” Lapis vaguely nodded as the two ran down the street. Lapis swallowed as the sound of clanging metal rang in the distance.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The junkyard was a war zone. Lapis and Amethyst ran through the destroyed gate into the main compound. Piles of discarded car parts and crushed aluminum cans surrounded them from all sides. Lapis could swear she saw half of a robot buried underneath a pile of scrap. The rows and rows of silver made a labyrinth of used hopes and discarded Christmas presents.

 

Lapis and Amethyst made their way through the rubble, following the sound of destroyed auto-parts and angry roars. As they passed another pile of pressed cars, Lapis felt a weird tingling sensation in the back of her head. Grabbing Amethyst’s wrist, she pulled them both back as the car pile exploded in front of them.

 

Dust and steel exploded in the air, making a cloud of shrapnel that hovered above ground. From that cloud flew Peridot, slamming into another pile of garbage before slumping to the ground. She kneeled, coughing as she breathed deeply. Lapis saw the gashes and blood that covered her face. Her hoodie was torn, slash marks covered the sides. She coughed and a bit of blood splattered on the ground.

 

Jasper walked from the cloud, looking more and more beast than human. Her hair had folded into a mane, her ears elongated and pulled back. Her teeth grew to dangerous sharpness matched only by her claws. She towered over Peridot, nearly doubling her height. She snarled, sounding more like a howl than any noise a human could make. She walked closer to Peridot, licking her lips with her tongue.

 

“Is this really it? You started out so strong too.” she said, “What, are you holding back on me? Get up, we’re not finished here yet.”

 

Peridot breathed heavily, still glaring back at Jasper. Her arms and legs did not seem to be responding very well. She could feel more blood dripping from somewhere. Her vampire cells struggled to stop the bleeding, but she felt the energy from the earlier nibble completely vanishing. Despite that, she did not break eye contact with Jasper, her glare still having the same edge it always had.

 

The werewolf looked down with a frown. “So, you really lost everything.” She said, raising a claw to the sky. It shone against the moon, casting a shadow over the vampire. “I hope it was worth it.” 

 

For Lapis the seconds felt like hours. She watched as Jasper moved her claw towards Peridot’s head. She saw Peridot, looking as defiant as ever. In her mind she saw the claw strike Peridot. She saw the blood, she heard the screaming. She saw Peridot, face still defiant as she was torn apart.

 

She moved without thinking.

 

Sprinting as hard as possible, she ran to Peridot. Throwing herself, she tackled Peridot with her shoulder. The vampire looked over, shock spreading over her face as Lapis pushed her out of the way. Lapis looked on with a smile as Peridot tumbled to the side. Turning back to Jasper she raised her arms over her head. The claws bit into her forearms, the pain shooting through to her shoulder. The two tumbled to the side as lights flashed in front of Lapis’s eyes.

 

She landed on her side, face halfway on the dirt. Opening her eyes, she saw Peridot kneeling over her. The vampire looked paler than ever before, her eyes wide with fear. “Lapis? Why did you do that?”

 

She groaned, trying to sit up. Her arms throbbed with pain. She saw the blood leaking out of the shallow cuts that ran down her forearms. Lapis groaned, grabbing Peridot by the collar. “You’re not allowed to die, dumbass.” Lapis said with a smirk. “You need blood, right?” She held out her arms to Peridot. The vampire looked back and forth between the arms and Lapis’s face. 

 

“I.” She swallowed, bringing a hand to her face. She licked down Lapis’s arm, bringing a shiver from both of them. Peridot licked both arms until she sat up with a smile. She planted a quick kiss to Lapis’s knuckles. “I owe you one Lazuli.” she said. The gashes on her face sealed inhumanly quickly, steam rising from the wounds.

 

Lapis rolled her eyes and moved to a sitting position. She gasped as she saw Jasper approaching over the two of them. She looked down, eyes trained on Lapis. “What are you two even doing in the middle of a fight?” She swiped down at Lapis, hand moving faster than the girl could follow. She closed her eyes and brought her arms above her head. Wind blew over her and her breath stopped. Chancing a glance, she opened her eyes and her jaw dropped.

 

Peridot kneeled on the ground, eyes closed and a smile on her face. She had a hand up, holding one of Jasper’s claws with ease. She laughed as she stood up. “This. This feels pretty good.” She turned back to Jasper and smiled. “You ready for round two big girl?”

 

Jasper gritted her teeth and pushed as hard as she could. Her hand shook with effort, but Peridot’s hand refused to move an inch. Something flushed her face, something between fear and surprise. “What the fuck? Where did this strength come from?!”

 

Peridot smiled and pushed Jasper’s hand back. “I found something I don’t want to lose. Now do us a favor and take a nap.” she said with a determined smile. Pivoting on her feet she took her fist and smashed Jasper in the stomach. The werewolf spit up a bit before buckling down to a knee. Peridot backed up a bit before round-house kicking Jasper in the chest. She wheezed as she flew off at breakneck speed. She crashed into a junk wall down the row, far enough that Peridot could only see the dust cloud. Brushing herself off, she looked back to Lapis.

 

“See? I’m pretty good at protecting you, aren’t I?” she said with a bright smile.

 

Lapis looked back and grinned. She reached a hand out that Peridot took, pulling her to her feet.  “Yeah, well don’t make this a habit. You’re lucky I only got grazed.” she said, punching Peridot in the shoulder. 

 

Looking over to the direction Jasper flew, Lapis motioned for them to take a look. The two walked over to the dust cloud where she landed. On the dirt, for at least twenty feet, a groove had been dug out from her tumbling across the ground. As they approached they saw Jasper, back to fully human, slumped on the ground unconscious. 

 

“Okay, just to make sure, she’s not dead right?” Lapis said, biting her lip. Seeing Peridot nod, she let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t going to be fun when Jasper woke up, but at least she made it. She wondered how Amethyst felt about Peridot beating her sis- 

 

“Peridot, where’s Amethyst?” Lapis asked, looking around. A crash erupted from another part of the junkyard, followed by a scream. Then a roar followed, shaking them to their cores. Lapis swallowed as she held her not quite bleeding arms. 

  
“Ah, fuck me.” she groaned. Peridot took her by the hand and they ran through the junk maze, screaming and roars echoing through their ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, I grew up watching Dragon Ball Z and Rurouni Kenshin. So, expect most fight scenes to be anime levels of ridiculousness. I have no regrets for the cheese.
> 
> Also happy late thanksgiving/pre-first day of Christmas. Or whatever you celebrate. It's that time of the year. How was it for you guys, I had my first all American Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, here's the chapter. Hopefully I can start getting back on the Monday updates, but ya know. It's the busiest time of the year.
> 
> You know what I'm thankful for? Each and every one of you reading. Yes, even you. Also I'm thankful for any and all comments and kudos so feel free to leave those here. I'll see you guys next chapter.


	11. A moment of courage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's always a bigger fish somewhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: Blood, violence. Unapologetic over exaggerated anime fighting. You have been warned.

“Okay, can we just humor me for a second? So you just beat Jasper, right?” Lapis said as they headed towards the sounds. The crashing and breaking of metal intensified as they ran. Peridot nodded as another scream rang through the compound. High pitched and piercing, it shook Lapis through her core. “Okay. So if she’s unconscious, what the hell is making that noise?!”

 

“If I had to guess; whatever actually killed that girl and what we bumped into earlier tonight.” Peridot said. Another roar rang out, even closer this time. Deep and guttural, it shook the trash piles surrounding them. The high scream responded, louder and laced with fury. Peridot stumbled a bit and fell against a pile of garbage.

 

“Woah, hey are you okay?” Lapis asked, moving by the girl. She took Peridot by the shoulders and turned her so they looked at each other. The vampire smirked at her, but her eyes had faded to their normal jade color. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Breathing out, she nodded her head.

 

“Yeah, I just slipped. Sorry about that.” She said. Shrugging the girl moved to stand properly, but Lapis kept a hand on her shoulder. “Uh, Laz. I don’t know what you’re doing but we gotta go.”

 

Lapis shook her head. “I thought you were going to be honest with me.” she said. Another roar erupted near them before the sound of crunching metal. “Don’t lie, are you still banged up from fighting with Jasper?”

 

Peridot rolled her eyes. “Oh come on Lazuli, I mean.” She bit her lip and looked away. Sighing, she leaned against the garbage. “Fine, god you’re nosey.”

 

“Well, that’s why we met isn’t it?” she said. She locked eyes with Peridot. The shorter one glanced away before taking a deep breath.

 

“I, alright. I was getting my ass handed to me. If you hadn’t shown up, I.” she swallowed and Lapis took her hand. “Yeah, so I owe you for that. The pick-me up you gave me let me take her out. But I burned most of what I got from you just fixing myself. Guess my legs aren’t done healing.”

 

Lapis looked down at the girl and saw the way she sagged against the junk pile. She kept her posture, but Lapis saw the fatigue that racked her. Another screech rang through the junkyard, closer than last time.. “Can you keep going then? I mean, I could always give you more blood-”

 

“Don’t even think of it.” Peridot said, shaking her head. “I’m the vampire. It’s my job to deal with the monsters. It’s your job to not get killed. And you already got yourself injured because of me. You’re lucky enough that those arm wounds were shallow.” Another explosion, half as close as before.

 

“Yeah, but you’re obviously forcing yourself. You could get yourself killed.” she said, pulling Peridot closer by her shoulders. “Let me be useful.” She could feel Peridot’s cold breath on her neck. She took a deep before getting pushed back. 

 

Peridot shook her head smiling. “No, I can’t. I mean, I shouldn’t. I mean, I already screwed that up. Just let me do this for you Lazuli. I don’t deserve you bailing me out again.” she said. Biting her lip, she forced a smile. “Besides, I still have gas in the tank, alright? Don’t worry, things will be fi-”

 

The world moved in slow motion. Bits and pieces of scrap danced in the air with blood splatter. Lapis and Peridot froze as something fell from the sky behind them. The dust cleared, revealing someone lying flat on their back on the dirt. She was big. Muscles bulged along her arms and across her chest. Her black mane of hair lay splayed across the dirt as she groaned. Her ears were pulled back into points and she had visible fangs.

 

From above something else fell from the sky. Landing on top of the person on the ground, it screeched into the sky. Lapis only looked at it for a second before she wanted to throw up. It laid covered by some rags that counted as shorts. Every other inch was open in bright, painful detail. 

 

Breathing heavily, its chest heaved up and down stretching visible muscles. Its chest was made of broken patches of every skin color Lapis could think of. It’s shoulders bulged out, stretching into a swollen hunched back. With every movement, each joint creaked and rattled like a broken elevator. Its hands stretched to stiletto points, skin stretched over each knuckle, showing exposed muscle fibers and bone. Its face was a patchwork of pieces that didn’t properly fit together. Its jaw hung open, showing a pair of massive white fangs stuck between sets of chainsaw teeth. The worst part was the stitches. Every mismatched piece of flesh, limb that didn’t pair with the body, all were held together with the same dark pieces of string. The string visibly strained as the creature moved its fist to strike at the person on the ground.

 

In an eyeblink, Peridot’s sneaker impacted its cheek. With a thunderous crack, the creature’s head spun backwards and it fell onto its back. Dropping to the ground, Peridot rushed to the fallen person.

 

“Hey, Amethyst. Amethyst, wake up!” she shouted, patting her on the face. Amethyst groaned and shifted as Peridot let out a sigh of relief. She put her arm behind Amethyst, as the larger girl struggled to sit up. “Geez, don’t worry me like that. What happened?”

 

Amethyst coughed and opened her eyes. “The monster…” she groaned, pushing against the ground.

 

“Hey, relax I killed it.” Peridot said. “You’re gonna be fine, right Lapis?”

 

Lapis stood, legs frozen and eyes wide. She choked a bit before pointing behind Peridot. “It’s getting back up.” she said, voice breathy. “Peridot, it’s getting back up!” she screamed.

 

Raising an eyebrow, Peridot turned around. Her jaw dropped as she watched the body start to stand. It took its hands, put them around its head, and twisted. With a moist cracking sound, it snapped back into place. Yellow eyes looked down at Peridot as it smiled wide with its fangs out. It screamed again before moving to strike her.

 

Another flash. Lapis saw Peridot bicycle kick the monster, driving her shoe straight into its chin. The monster’s head snapped back, completely limp as it staggered. As Peridot landed it swung both it hands together and smashed them onto Peridot’s arms. Screaming, she staggered back, breathing deeply. The monster reached back, grabbed its skull, and snapped it back into position. Its smile did not leave its face.

 

Panting, Peridot tried to move her arms. She felt something crack before her body mended itself. Spitting on the ground, she faced against the monster. With every breath, her arms strained, screaming as high as the monster. Amethyst staggered to her feet next to Peridot. “Hurts like a bitch doesn’t it?” she said, forcing a smile.

 

Peridot coughed, shaking her head. “Okay, correct me if I’m wrong. Broken necks shouldn’t fix themselves like that, right?”

 

Amethyst shook her head. “Not a doctor but I’d say you’re right. The stupid thing regenerates whenever you hit it. I swear I killed it at least half a dozen times.”

 

The monster stood there, still as a mannequin as it looked at Peridot. Staring back, the vampire clenched her fist. “Alright,  let’s see how it handles both of us.” she said. Throwing her hand back, she snapped her fingers. She closed her eyes, visualizing an invisible hand behind her. A car engine, a radiator and some other heavy things floated in the air. She felt the power begin to drain from her as she lifted the junk. Breathing evenly, she opened her eyes. She wound up, and then threw them at the monster. The monster didn’t move as metal objects impacted its body. Each hit made a dull wet thud, before the metal flopped to the ground. Amethyst ran up to the creature and grabbed the car engine off the ground. With a roar she jumped and brought it down onto the monster’s skull. 

 

With a loud crack, the metal made contact. The monster buckled a bit before Amethyst dropped her weapon. Grabbing it by the arm, she pulled it into an arm lock. Muscles tensed and flexed as the creature started to move. Peridot jumped from above it, holding a sharp piece of shrapnel and thrust down with all her weight. The tip almost touched the shoulder before the monster flexed its arm. One second, Amethyst was holding it in an arm lock. The next she was flipped into the air and its arms were free. It reached up faster than Peridot could track and grabbed her by the throat. Screeching again, it slammed Peridot into the nearest broken car.

 

All the air left her as she made impact. The monster pulled her back and slammed her again, repeating as Peridot tried in vain to remove its fingers. Amethyst grabbed onto its elbow but the monster decked her across the cheek. With a crack, she staggered back. She fell, eyes glazing over slightly as she hit the dirt. Peridot’s eyes flared as anger built within her. She bit into the first finger wrapped around her throat. The creature froze before sharpening a glare at Peridot. It raked its claws against her face as it screamed.

 

From the sides, Lapis watched in horror. Amethyst lay on the ground unconscious. Peridot cried out in pain as the monster clawed at her. Lapis started to hyperventilate. Looking down she held her head in her hands. She should run. Her brain told her to run and pray that it didn’t follow her. The metal piece that Peridot used stuck itself into the ground between her and the monster. She took another breath and shook her head. Amethyst was gonna wake up. Peridot will be fine. This is all going to be alright. She was just the human. Breathing hard, she felt the pain in her head intensify. Her chest pounded, trying to drag her to the side. She looked up and locked eyes with Peridot for a moment. Something clicked.

 

She ran forward, grabbing the metal stick out of the ground. Screaming she thrust it at the monster. It didn’t even notice her tackling her side until she drove the tip in. Putting her entire body behind it, she plunged the stick right between its ribs. Blood spewed from the entry, but Lapis kept pushing. The creature screamed as she felt it hit… something squishy. She didn’t know or care really she just stood there, eyes wide. 

 

The monster flailed wildly, almost grazing Lapis. The shockwave knocked her to the ground as she watched it flounder. Lapis scrambled to her feet and grabbed Peridot. The vampire looked on at Lapis with stars in her eyes. Lapis carried her and ran down the way before sliding behind a tall pile of junk. Breathing heavily she covered her face with her hands as she started shaking.

Peridot wobbled before standing. She coughed, blood splattering on the ground. “What the hell are you doing!?” she said, voice like an old chalkboard. 

 

Lapis shook her head and looked at Peridot. “I don’t know. My legs moved without thinking. I just. You looked like you wanted my help.” she said, voice shaking. She made a shaky smile. “I couldn’t just watch you die.” 

 

The vampire looked at her, mouth agape. She closed it and looked down, rubbing at her eyes. She shook her head. “I, I’m sorry. I couldn’t do it. I’m not strong enough.”

“Then let me help you.” Lapis said, moving closer to Peridot. The vampire flinched before looking away. “Peridot, why won’t you let me help you?”

 

“Because I already got you involved in all this.” She tried to shout, motioning around her. “I messed up biting you. I messed up trying to fight Jasper. I can’t do anything.”

 

Lapis reached over and touched Peridot’s shoulders. Peridot looked up at Lapis before a sharp smack hit her cheek. “Stop trying to take everything onto yourself Peridot.” she said, voice starting to shake. “I get it. I get feeling like you fucked everything. And I get feeling like you’ve dragged everyone down. And I get feeling like you have to fix everything yourself. I’m the same.” She sniffed and held Peridot’s face where she slapped her. “But you’re not alone Peridot. I’m here with you. I can’t kill that thing alone. You can’t either. But we’re not alone.”

 

“Lapis.” she mumbled, biting on her lip. Blood dripped from her lip for a moment before she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then out. Opening her eyes, she looked at Lapis and nodded. “I need you.”

 

Nodding, she lowered her collar and exposed her neck. Peridot looked between it and swallowed. Lapis smiled and cupped her face again. “I trust you. Kick its ass.”

 

Peridot wrapped her arms around Lapis’s waist. She felt Lapis shudder as the distance between them shrunk. Her breath tickled Lapis’s neck, tugging a shiver out of the girl. 

 

“You’re an idiot.” Lapis heard her mutter that before she felt the prick. Her knees almost gave out and her head felt light. Gripping Peridot she took a deep breath and centered herself. The shock of this had worn off by now, and she just held onto the vampire as she ate. Lapis still felt the warmth radiate from her neck, circling in her chest before landing in her stomach. She breathed out as the world started to drift away. The wind faded, the sounds disappeared. It was only her, and Peridot.

 

Lapis’s fingers drifted through Peridot’s hair. She smiled, feeling like she could fall asleep standing up. Then her partner pulled out, bringing a gasp from Lapis. She looked at Peridot with hazy eyes. The vampire looked down at her, smiling. The fire burned in her eyes again as her wounds started to sizzle. She pulled Lapis tighter as she took some breaths.

 

“I won’t let anything hurt you again.” she mumbled. Her voice found its previous strength. She smiled, stepping back from behind the trash pile.

 

Lapis nodded, staggering to the side slightly. Looking forward she saw Peridot facing her, hands in her pockets and absolutely glowing. Behind her she saw the monster, charging down at them again. Her eyes widened as she almost fell back. She shouted, “Peridot!”

 

Peridot inhaled. The monster was almost on them. Peridot turned to the beast. It lumbered over her, drooling over its deranged smile. Peridot took her hands out of her pocket. The monster howled, curling its hand into a massive fist. It swung, creating a gust of wind that scattered the junk near it. Peridot clenched her own fist, and with a wicked grin threw a hook at the monster’s fist.

 

The two collided with an earth shattering crash. The force shattered the ground they stood on, clearing a circle around them. The monster’s arm pulsed and bent. With a crack and a howl of pain, a bone splintered out the monster’s forearm. It recoiled and grabbed it’s own wrist. Pulling on its hand, it straightened out its arm as Peridot stood back, shaking her hand.

 

The monster howled and threw another punch at Peridot. She twisted her feet and met the blow, causing another explosive shockwave. More howling as the monster’s arm fractured, then immediately straightened itself. Howling it threw another punch that was met with another fist. The two traded blows, speed increasing to breakneck levels. The shock wave radiated from them, knocking Lapis back into a tumble. 

 

“You regenerate faster the harder I hit you, right?” she barked, glaring down the monster with crimson eyes. “Then let’s find out what your limit is!” Amid the flurry she dug her feet into the ground and clenched her teeth. Clenching her teeth, she swung faster. A warm feeling in her chest started to spread through her, moving her faster than she thought possible.

 

The monster started to move back. It dug its feet in and tried to keep up, but with each consecutive blow, its balance started to waver. As Peridot pushed forward, it staggered. Throwing its hands in the air it tried to regain balance. It didn’t have time before Peridot jumped at its face. Spreading her hands out she slammed them on the Monster’s ears in a deafening thunderclap. Howling with pain, the monster stumbled back, grasping its head.

 

It looked down and saw the vampire standing where it stood. Then she disappeared in a blur of motion. Something hit its stomach, knocking the wind out of its chest. It keeled over, bringing it face to face with Peridot.

 

She brought back a fist and drove it into the creature’s face. It reeled back arms flailing wildly. Peridot stomped on the ground and took a deep breath. She stared at the monster’s exposed chest and brought her fists back. Then she punched it. Once, twice, thrice. A rainstorm of punches erupted from Peridot. Each hit sent ripples through the monster’s body.

 

The monster flailed as the blows hit its torso. It struggled to stay up as Peridot continued her assault. It made its fists, and brought them down onto Peridot’s head. The vampire cried in pain. She flinched, stopping her assault for a moment. The monster kept pounding on her. Slashing, punching, it did anything to try and force her back. Glaring back up, Peridot swatted both arms away with a roar. She stomped, cracks splitting through the ground..

 

“That won’t work this time!” she screamed, throwing punches at blinding speeds. The monster screamed, its stitches starting to come undone. Tears and bruises started to open on its body, and as each started to close, three more opened. Peridot kept wailing into the creature, blood splattering over her face as she wailed on it. With a grunt of effort, she pushed the monster back and stopped her punches.

 

It stood there, face locked in murderous rage. Its stitches fell apart and it struggled to move any of its limbs. It locked eyes with Peridot. The creature wasn’t outfitted with emotions. It was built as a weapon, and designed to not take any joy or sadness out of that. But as it stared at Peridot, her fist covered in blood and glaring at it, something emerged. It felt fear. Shrieking, it tried to move as Peridot walked closer.

 

“Tell this to whatever made you.” She said, curling her hand into a fist. “Don’t you dare fuck with my city again!” She shouted, driving her fist into the monster’s stomach. She pushed into the ground, hitting with everything she had. The monster buckled for a second. It’s spine started to flex. Then it flew, vanishing from Peridot’s fist. A crashing thud came from a wall at the edge of the junkyard. 

 

Lapis, who watched the entire thing in stunned silence, stepped forward. She watched the vampire, standing in the middle of the junkyard. Moonlight shone on her as she stood, body still in the same position as when it finished. Coughing, she stood up and turned back. Her face was cut up. Her hair stood up, blown back from the impact of all the hits. Blood splotched all over her, and Lapis guessed most wasn’t her own. Peridot looked back and made eye contact with Lapis. Breathing heavily, she smiled the widest grin she could muster. 

 

“Hey Laz!” she called out. “Be honest with me, did I look like a video game character or not?!” Lapis stared back blankly. Her head wasn’t as foggy and her legs not quite as shaky. She smiled and snorted. Grabbing her stomach she started to laugh. Peridot snickered then started to laugh too, dropping onto her butt as she held her stomach. Lapis walked up to the vampire, still laughing her guts out. Wiping away a tear, she looked down at her vampire and held a hand out.

 

“That was definitely a limit break.” she said, as Peridot took her hand. She helped Peri to her feet and the two stood there, smiling.

 

“Final fantasy seven or ten, because depending on what you say that’s an insult.” she said before Lapis punched her in the shoulder. She leaned on Lapis, smiling as the blood rush left her and the aching pain started to hit. At least she looked cool. She sighed in relief, warmth pulsing in her chest before it faded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A Monday update? Punch me I must be dreaming. Anyway, here's the climax everyone. I had a lot of fun writing this, so I'm not apologizing for how cheesy it is.
> 
> Also, how did you guys like the monster? I just closed my eyes and remembered when I used to work at a hospital. So mix that with a sleepless night or two and there it is. So, apologies if I grossed anyone out with that.
> 
> Anyway, kudos and comments make me write faster. So feel free to feed me as many as you can so I can produce more "quality" content. And if you don't that's cool too, I just appreciate you reading. I'll see you all next chapter.


	12. In which Lapis is surprisingly good at selfcare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis gets more questions. And pizza.

They stood together for too long. Lapis held an arm around Peridot as the adrenaline started to wane. With a sigh, the vampire stumbled a bit before Lapis caught her. She grumbled and looked up at a concerned face. Smiling, she grabbed onto Lapis’s shirt and tried pulling herself up.

  
“Okay, that’s it Lapis. I’m officially tapped out.” She said, leaning her head against Lapis’s chest. “If another one of those things shows up, you got it right?”

  
Rolling her eyes, Lapis pulled the vampire closer. “Totally. I’ve been practicing fighting games all my life just to kill monsters.”

  
The two started to walk down the way in the junkyard, Lapis supporting Peridot as much as she could. The vampire tried to struggle at first, but gave up and just let Lapis walk her the whole way.

  
“Do you really know how to play fighting games?” She said, rubbing at her eyes. “Because I’ve been trying to pick those up and I am terrible.”

  
Lapis snorted. “Well, the first step is to get good.” she said. A weak thump on Lapis’ stomach was Peridot’s response. Lapis laughed. “Okay, okay. Hang out with me like a normal person and I’ll properly school your ass.”

  
Peridot groaned before hitting her head against Lapis’s chest. The two looked at each other and laughed before stopping. They made it to where Amethyst laid on the ground. She had shrunk back to normal size, clothes looking even rougher than before. Peridot stepped from Lapis and kneeled down to Amethyst.

  
“Hey, hey wake up.” she said. She shook her shoulders, bringing a groan from Amethyst.

  
“Ughh…. Did anyone get the number of that truck?” she mumbled. Peridot let out a sigh of relief before shaking Amethyst even harder. The girl grumbled louder as her eyes fluttered open. She stretched before looking to Peridot. “Holy shit, you’re not dead.” she said with a smirk.

  
“That’s not completely true and you know it.” Peridot said, standing up. She held out her hand which Amethyst took. As she tried to stand, both girls stumbled before Lapis ran in and held them both up.

  
“Wow, my legs are made of jelly. What happened with the monster?” Amethyst asked, taking a few tentative steps. Peridot and Lapis followed her.

  
“It’s down that way if you wanna see.” Lapis said pointing towards the opposite end of the yard.

  
“You mean I have to walk all the way down there? Lame.” Amethyst said, exaggerating a sigh. Lapis smiled as the three of them walked to the wall, Amethyst grousing the whole way.   
  
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Dust littered the impact site. Bits and pieces of shrapnel coated the area as the three made their way towards the body. It sat, slumped in a hole in the concrete wall. Bits of rubble fell around it, kicking up some dust. Its body sat there in pieces. The seams had completely broken all over its body. Limbs were barely dangling on, the torso threatened to split in half. Its head was frozen in a shocked expression.

  
When they arrived, Lapis almost threw up. She took a deep breath and held it in before moving behind Peridot. Amethyst moved to do the same, sidling next to Lapis. Peridot stood in the front of the creature before stepping forward. She kicked a rock at it as she walked forward. It hit the monster’s chest with a wet slap before falling to the ground. Peridot stopped in front of the creature, hands in her pocket before kicking at its side.

  
“Hey guys, I think it’s dead!” Peridot shouted back to the two. The three let out the breaths they were holding.

  
“Well, that’s just rude.”

  
Peridot jumped back and Amethyst readied herself as a voice came from the corpse. Lapis ran over to Peridot, grabbing the vampire by her shoulders. They watched as the corpse started to glow with a pale yellow light. It shook as something passed through its chest, up to its head. With a crack, the head was forced forward and the eyes were trained on Peridot. The creature hardly moved its jaw as it spoke.

  
“Didn’t somebody tell you it was rude to break other people’s things?” it said, voice surprisingly sultry. It was a woman’s voice, the kind you expected to hear at a pretentious fundraiser, or a rich person PTA meeting. The creature seemed to laugh, not taking its eyes off Peridot.

  
“Who are you?” Peridot said, staring the creature in the eyes. “You’re controlling this thing, aren’t you?”

  
The creature blinked before answering. “I didn’t do anything. I just asked it to find you and, well it’s not particularly bright.”

  
Lapis saw Peridot’s eye twitch. The vampire moved towards the monster. “Well, you have my full undivided attention. How can I help you?”

  
The creature tilted its head. “I wanted to say congratulations. It’s been a long time and I was worrying you’d never move on.” It said, drawing a smile on its lips. “Your new girl is a lot prettier than the last one.”  
  
Lapis felt a blur under her hands as Peridot disappeared. She ran up to the creature, grabbed its head in her hands, and smashed it into the wall. “Shut your fucking mouth!”

  
The creature laughed as its face got pressed in. “What’s wrong Peridot? Don’t tell me you’re still mad about her. She’s been dead for a long time. Don’t lose your head over it like she did!” A crash as Peridot brought the monster’s head back and slammed it harder into the wall. Something cracked and the monster’s jaw started to fold in on itself.

  
“Don’t you fucking talk. Where the fuck are you?!” Peridot screamed. Lapis, frozen at the side saw a tear streak down her cheek.

  
The monster smiled wider despite the fractured jaw. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Tell me though, how attached are you to this new one? I really like her hair.”

  
Peridot froze. Slowly, she took the creature’s head and twisted it to face her. Looking straight into the yellow eyes, Peridot growled. “If you so much as breathe in her direction, I will end you. Stay away from her.”

  
The monster laughed. “It’s a bit late for that.” It said, stretching its jaw as it howled with laughter. Amidst the creaking and moist laughter, a scream built from Peridot’s chest. Roaring she drove her fist through the monster’s face. Blood splattered over her, red and warm against the dried splotches that covered her. With a crunch, she pulled her hand back.

  
The light from the monster’s eyes faded. It slumped against the wall with a moist thud. A spark of yellow popped at the top of the monster’s head. It grew into a flame that began to spread down the monster. Peridot backed off as the monster became consumed in fire. She backed up to Lapis who caught her as they watched the monster vanish into a burst of flame. Sighing, Peridot fell against Lapis.

  
“I really can’t feel my legs anymore.” she groaned. She looked up at Lapis and took a deep breath. “I. Geez, I feel like I owe you a really long explanation.”

  
Lapis shook her head. “Later. Stop bleeding first, then we’ll talk.” she said, trying to force a smile. She wrapped her arms around Peridot before lifting her up bridal style. Peridot blushed and leaned against Lapis.

  
“I changed my mind I can walk. This is embarrassing.” she groaned. Lapis laughed and turned to Amethyst who chuckled at Peridot’s embarrassment.

  
“Welp, I see you’ve got your hands full.” she winked and the pair groaned at her. “You guys head back, I’ll get Jasper and fill her in. You’ll be alright by yourselves?”

  
Lapis looked down to Peridot and smiled. “Yeah, I think so. It’s a walk, but not that bad of a walk. Besides, cardio exercise is good for you, right?”

  
Amethyst snorted. “Don’t worry. Peri’s really good at cardio exercises. If you get my meaning, ya know?”

  
Peridot looked like an overcooked lobster. “I know where you live. I know where you sleep. I will get you back for this Amethyst, I swear to god.”

  
Rolling her eyes, Lapis started walking. “I’ll keep that in mind Amethyst.” she said, feeling a bit of blood rushing to her face. “Well not really I mean. I mean it wouldn’t be bad but. I, okay yeah I’m going.” she rushed out to the junkyard entrance, both girls trying really hard not to make eye contact with each other.   
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
“You really like bleeding all over my carpet.” Lapis said after laying Peridot on her couch. Moonlight filtered in through her windows, casting her furniture in a shining gray. Stretching her shoulders out, Lapis headed towards the bathroom. “Try putting something on the television or something. I’m gonna look for my first aid supplies.”

  
Peridot grumbled in acknowledgement. She pulled at her sweater sleeve, wiping away some blood from her cheek. She winced as pain shot through her jaw. Then another jolt of pain from her side took her by surprise. Rolling her eyes, she tried to sit up. Amidst a sea of complaining joints and burning gashes, she got into a sitting position. She let out a breath, then started to flail as her body began to fall over.

  
A steady arm caught her. Lapis held Peridot with one arm, and a cookie tin on her other. Sitting down, Lapis wrapped an arm around her charge for support. She gave it a moment, then let go when Peridot sat all the way up. She popped the tin open and pulled out a cotton ball.

  
“You really did a number on yourself, huh?” Lapis said with a small smile. She reached for the rubbing alcohol and started dabbing some onto cotton. “Shouldn’t your vampire healing be patching you up anyway?”

  
“Should be.” she said, taking her glasses off. “But I burned myself out fighting that thing. My body can’t even stand properly, let alone patch itself up. Give me a few hours and I should be moderately okay.”

  
Lapis nodded before scooting closer. “This is gonna sting.” she muttered before dabbing at the wounds. The vampire hissed but didn’t move. Lapis laid a hand over Peridot’s. “Hey, you don’t have to act tough this time. You did plenty of that in the junkyard.”

  
Peridot rolled her eyes before entwining their fingers. “You’re killing me Lazuli.” she muttered, looking away. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” she said.  
  
“You’re forgiven.” Lapis said, wiping the blood off Peridot.

  
“I didn’t say why.” Peridot said.

  
“You don’t have to. I forgive you anyway.” Lapis said. She put a finger on Peridot’s chin. She nudged the vampire till they were looking at each other directly. “And before you get into it, I know you’re terrible at explaining things. So don’t force yourself to explain anything.” she said with a grin.

  
Peridot looked back, jaw dropped. Biting her lip, she looked away for a second before taking another deep breath. “Thanks.” she mumbled.

  
Lapis nodded as she wiped down Peridot’s neck. The vampire flushed as Lapis got closer, wiping at her with a wet cloth. “Take your sweater off.” Lapis said, reaching down for a clean cloth. Looking up, she raised an eyebrow to Peridot. “What’s that look for? Your hoodie’s a mess, you need to get cleaned and stuff under it too.”

  
Peridot swallowed, heat filling her face. “Lapis.” she said, voice shaking. “You remember I don’t normally wear a shirt, right?” Lapis nodded before the dots connected. A spark went off in her head, setting fire to her cheeks.

  
“U-uh, right. You did tell me that.” she said, looking away to not stare. “Uh, okay. Just, just turn around alright? I’ll start with your back and, uh. You’ll tell me if I need to take care of anything else?” she said, voice definitely not squeaking towards the end.

  
“Um, okay.” Peridot said, voice equally not squeaky. Turning to the side, she grabbed the sides of her hoodie and brought it over her head. Lapis tried to cover her eyes with her hand, but her fingers had a hard time staying together. She watched as Peridot stretched. Moonlight glanced over her body, highlighting the dry blood smears that ran down her back. As she stretched, Lapis saw the muscles around her torso and arms flex. Her face turned a new level of red as she almost shoved her face in the couch cushions.

  
Easing behind Peridot, Lapis gently slapped herself before grabbing her supplies. Turning back to Peridot, she look at the girl’s back. Several gashes ran down her back. A few curved to the side, wrapping near her hips. Lapis nodded and started wiping at the blood spots.

  
“So, uh.” Peridot said. “I have an idea who sent that thing. But, I don’t want to assume anything until we get more info.”

  
Lapis grunted in acknowledgement. “I mentioned Pearl before, right? Do you mind if I go tell her about what we saw? She could have an idea what the hell you just fought.”

  
Peridot nodded. “Actually, I was going to suggest the same. If there’s anybody who could tell us more about that monster, it would be Pearl. I mean, a few thousand years of history has to be good for something, right?”

  
“Yeah, exac- Wait how did you know that?” Lapis asked.

  
“It’s.” Peridot paused. “It’s complicated. I think it’ll be best if Pearl and I tell you together. Besides, she’d kill me if she found out I’m talking about her behind her back.”

  
Lapis snorted into her hand. “I can’t believe it. The great and lovable Peridot is afraid of a soccer mom. Am I going to have to protect you from Helen the PTA mom?”

  
“Depends, is she going to shove lemon bars down my throat? Because even I have limits.” Peridot said. Snickering, she relaxed a bit before leaning onto the sofa. She sat there, content with herself as Lapis continued wiping away the blood. The two sat there in comfortable silence. Peridot almost found herself nodding off until Lapis spoke.

  
“So, uh. I know you’re probably not going to want to talk about this.” Lapis muttered. “But, what was that thing talking about? The thing about a girl?” She swallowed. Her heart started thumping in her chest as silence drifted between them. Peridot tensed before looking away. They sat there like that for about an eternity, according to Lapis. She was about halfway done making a way to reverse time with your mind before Peridot spoke.

  
“I don’t really want to get into it right now.” Peridot said. Her voice cracked. She started to shake. The vampire brought a finger to her lips. She chewed on it a bit before looking at Lapis. “It’s a long story.”

  
Lapis nodded, moving to clean Peridot’s shoulder. As she went down the arm she saw the white scar that wrapped around her bicep. “I didn’t know vampires could scar.” she muttered, tracing over it with her finger. Peridot shuddered.

  
“Those are special. Part of a long story.” she said.

  
“Same long story as the girl?” Lapis guessed. Peridot nodded a bit before moving to hug herself. Lapis bit her lip as guilt started building in her chest. She looked around for a second before her eyes landed on Peridot. Taking a deep breath, she leaned in and gave a quick kiss to Peridot’s scar, then hugged the vampire.

  
They froze. Lapis held Peridot close, nestling her head in the crook of Peridot’s neck. Peridot shivered. Lapis’s heartbeat echoed in the vampire’s ears. She forgot to breath for a minute. She swallowed a bit before laying a hand over Lapis’s arm. The filipina pulled the vampire tighter and mumbled into her ear.

  
“I’m sorry I brought it up.” she whispered into Peridot’s ear. “And I can’t imagine what you went through. But I’m sorry that thing and I brought it up. Thank you for protecting me either way.”

  
A drop fell onto Lapis’s arm. Looking up she saw Peridot wipe at her eyes before sniffling. The vampire turned around and hugged Lapis back. Lapis sat there, processing the vampire holding onto her. She heard a sniffled as Peridot grabbed onto her tighter. Doing the only responsible thing she could think of, she held Peridot closer. Rubbing her back, she rested her head on Peridot’s.

  
“Hey, I have an idea.” Lapis said. “I’m going to go get you some pajamas. Then I’ll order us some pizza, and we’re going to watch a movie. You pick, just as long as it’s something really stupid, like. Like Sharknado stupid. And we’ll talk about girls and braid hair or something. How’s that sound?”

  
Peridot went quiet before giving a small nod. Lapis smiled and gently eased her way back. The vampire looked at her, eyes red in the more conventional way. She laughed and rubbed at her eye with the palm of her hand.

  
“Alright, but I get to pick the pizza toppings.”

  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
“Why does the suit have nipples?” Lapis said, mouth full of pizza. “I mean, okay I can tolerate the bat abs but, why do they have nipples?!”

  
Peridot guffawed at that, fishing for another slice of pizza. They ended up buying two large ones, because Peridot wanted pineapple and ham. Lapis had standards. About half an hour into the movie though, they really didn’t care too much about what they shoved in their mouths. Anything tasted half-way decent while laughing.

  
“You think that’s bad?” Peridot said, wiping a tear from her eye. “Wait till you see the bat credit card.”

  
Lapis stared at the vampire. She opened her mouth to comment, but words failed her. She just blinked and looked back to the screen. Shaking her head, she scooted closer to Peridot and leaned her head on Peri’s shoulder.

  
“If this ruins batman for me, I will never forgive you. When my soul forcibly ejects itself from my body due to the sheer stupid in this movie, I will follow you around for the rest of eternity. It’ll be just like Ocarina of Time.” Lapis said. She laughed when Peridot shoved her slightly.

  
“You say ‘hey listen’ once.” Peridot said with a smirk. “I’m going to vomit all over your pajamas. And these are like, really nice once.” she said, motioning to the light blue tank top she wore. The soft comfy feeling of sleeping shorts felt alien to her.

  
Lapis stuck her tongue out at her and Peridot felt the nice warm sensation in her chest. She watched the movie. More accurately, she technically watched the movie. Between the pizza, bad movie puns and verbal jabs, Peridot was thinking. Closing her eyes she took a breath and sighed.

  
“Hey, Lapis?” she said. Lapis looked up with a stupid grin. Peridot looked down and blushed. “Um. Thank you. Nobody’s ever um. Nobody’s really done this for me before.”

  
Lapis shrugged. “Hey, in my experience nothing is more healing than bad movies and good company. If I actually had friends I’d do it all the time. You telling me Amethyst never did this for ya?”

  
“Nah, we avoided being around her place as much as possible.” Peridot said with a sigh. “Being around Jasper is exhausting, so we didn’t really have that luxury. Besides, the last thing Amethyst wants is to talk about her feelings.”

  
“Well, she’s missing out. I mean come on, I bought the pizza. Who doesn’t like free pizza?” Lapis said.

  
Peridot smiled at her and leaned on Lapis a bit. She ran a hand along her arm. She felt the scar burn, as if her arm was about to pop off. Taking a deep breath, she sighed. In her head, thousands of disaster scenarios ran. For once, she ignored them and opened her mouth.

  
“It happened a long time ago.” she said, voice low. Lapis looked up for a second before grabbing the remote. She hit the pause button, freezing Batman in place. Peridot looked at her before taking a deeper breath. “It feels more like a lifetime really. It involves the person I think was controlling that thing. And it involves a girl that I loved.”

  
“Her name was Paulette.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everybody! Whatever the heck you're celebrating this month, I hope you have a good one!
> 
> I made this chapter a bit long I think. I'll say it's an early Christmas present.
> 
> Oh yeah did I forgot to tell you guys that I was gonna include camp pining hearts references? Well I'll guess you'll need to wait till next week. Enjoy the cliffhanger.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. They keep me warm in the butt freezing wilderness that is the north east. I'll see you al next chapter.


	13. In which Peridot is bored

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot is bored

A scream rang through the city. Down the streets of San Francisco, a girl ran. She didn’t know where she was going, or what she was going to do. She just kept running, fast as her legs let her. She shouted between gasps, crying for help. The streets said nothing as her words echoed through the sleeping city. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. Then she saw her.

A figure walked down the sidewalk, hands in her pockets. She wore a buttoned shirt and suit pants, both too thin for the cold night. The girl didn’t care. She practically threw herself at the stranger, latching herself to the person’s sleeve.

“Please help me!” she cried. “There’s… this thing. I don’t know but I saw it kill someone. And then. And then it saw me. Please help me!” she clung tighter.

The stranger stopped and sighed. She ran a hand through her blonde hair. “Tell me. Did it look like a person?” she asked. The girl nodded. “Did it have red eyes?” The girl nodded faster, pulse rising as she remembered it. “Did it have fangs?” she asked, smile coming to her face. The girl nodded again.

“Tell me then,” Peridot said, turning to the girl. “Did they look like these?” she said smiling a toothy smile. The girl’s eyes widened as she tried to scream. Her voice died in her throat as fangs pierced her jugular. She convulsed, thrashing against Peridot with what strength she had. A few moments passed, the blows became weaker. The pulse that beat against Peridot’s fangs grew dimmer. Peridot removed herself from the girl’s neck. Red coated her maw and she took a deep breath. Adrenaline faded from her body as the smile started to fade..

“Should’ve gone to the police.” she muttered.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took her about half an hour to hide the body. Probably would’ve taken fifteen minutes if it wasn’t for that group of party-goers that just had to take the back alley shortcut. As she shoved the body in a trash can, she wondered when she got this good at this. She then wondered if it was bad how good she was at this. That train of thought died particularly quickly.

She made it back home before three a.m. She dusted her shoes off before opening the door. She didn’t really have to, but if she forgot she’d never hear the end of it. The rant never ended when you set her o-

“Did you remember to clean your shoes?” a shrill voice shouted through the halls. Peridot winced, sticking a finger in her ear.

“I always do, Pearl!” she shouted back. She rolled her eyes hard enough that she felt dizzy. Sighing, she walked through the hall until she came to the dining room.

Sitting in a chair by the window was Pearl. Her bright blonde hair was pulled into an updo, not a strand out of place. The lamplight glowed against her dark brown skin. Her canary yellow blouse didn’t have a single wrinkle on it, something that Peridot never fully understood. Her bright yellow eyes didn’t look up from her newspaper as Peridot entered the room.

“I thought you were going to be back before midnight?” she said, flipping a page.

“I got hung up. Had to chase this girl down seventh avenue. It got messy.” she said, pulling herself a chair. She read the front page of Pearl’s newspaper as she tapped on the table. The headlines were obnoxiously big: February 8, 1926, Disney Brothers Studios Out! Walt Disney Studios In! She really needed to catch up on her media.

Pearl slowly blinked and nodded her head. “You’re lucky our diamond isn’t here.” she said in a punchable way, “because you would be in so much trouble.” she said with a smirk.

Peridot grumbled and grabbed a book sitting on the head of the table. “She’s not even here Pearl. You don’t have to kiss up to her.”

“Loyal servants stay loyal, even when the master is away.” Pearl said. “You need to learn more discipline.”

“Noted, Pearl.” Peridot said, rolling her eyes. She sighed and looked out the window. Her diamond had been gone for the last two weeks, saying she was out on ‘business’. Peridot was still confused as to why she wasn’t allowed to accompany her. Pearl was twice as confused and didn’t stop crying about it for three days. It really made Peridot wish they could pack up and move already.

Pearl cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow. “Well, you look bored. If you’re really that bored, go out and do something. Humans can be fun to play with before you eat them, right?”

“You don’t eat, Pearl.” Peridot said. Leaning back she sighed again, longer than all the other times before. “Fine, I’ll find something to keep myself busy with.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
There was nothing to keep her busy. The city lost its charm around day seven. The people were too loud, the cars too smokey. Finding a good meal was much harder than it should be. And the weather was always kind of crappy. Still, Peridot found herself wandering the streets every night, allowing herself to head into the crowds.

This evening she wandered through the theater district. The boulevard pulsed with life, lights bright as the sun and a clamor grew louder every second. She hated bright lights, and she preferred the quiet. So she was having a fantastic night. She ended up standing on the only quiet street corner in San Francisco. She wondered what was worse, going back to the chaos of San Francisco nightlife or Pearl. As she started hitting her head against a wall, a voice caught her attention.

“I’m just saying, you told us there’d be a joint nearby. I’m lookin and I don’t see nothin.” A pasty blonde kid said. He wore a button up shirt a size too big under a vest. A bright yellow bowtie adorned his neck, covering the open buttons. He walked between two others. The taller boy wore similar clothes to the blonde. His actually fit though, and he had suspenders holding up his pants. The outfit complimented his tanner complexion, and highlighted his darker hair.

The tall one shrugged with a smile. “Don’t be a wet blanket Percy. The night is young, we have time. So there’s no need to stress, right Paulette?” he said, voice rumbling in his throat. At the last part, he looked over to the third member of their party.

She stood to the Percy’s left. Taller than him, she wore a simple brown coat. It hung over her shoulders, showing a slight blue fringe under its edge. Her long brown hair parted to the side in waves. She smiled, pale cheeks rosey from the cold.

“Pierre’s right Percy.” she said. “There ain’t no rush. Everything’s fine, ya know? So pipe down already, you’re giving me the jitters.”

Percy grumbled and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’re both goofs and I hate you.”

Smiling, Paulette bumped up to him. “Come on, we’re just razzing ya. You’ll look old enough to drink at this rate.”

Pierre narrowed his eyes a bit before stepping closer to Percy. “He looks plenty old already.” Blinking, he listened to what he just said. “I mean, he looks respectable. Yeah, I would definitely serve him drinks if I was a bartender.”

Paulette made eye contact with Pierre over Percy. She smirked, causing a frown from the boy. She mouthed ‘smooth’ at him before nudging against Percy again. “Come on Percy. I know a juice joint not too far from here. Let’s get over there soon so you can give me a dance.”

Pierre grabbed Percy by the elbow. “Well for his first dance of the night, he should have a proper partner. So I think I’ll be better for that.” He smiled wide as Paulette glared daggers back at him. The two kept exchanging light jabs between each other nonstop. Between them Percy just rolled his eyes. But he smiled as the three of them walked down the street.

Peridot rolled her eyes. Friends were overrated and she wasn’t ready to make that particular mistake again. Sighing, she stepped away from the wall to head back to the crowds. She stopped when she saw a figure run down in the direction the group went. Smiling, she followed at a healthy distance. Finally, there was something to do in the city.  
  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
She tailed them for ten minutes. From what she gathered the stalkery person was armed and probably new at this. The threesome however didn't notice as they kept going down their walk.   
  
“Hey guys,” the girl said… Paulette? Yeah that was her name. “I think I dropped my necklace.”

Percy looked back. “You want us to go back and look for it?” He and Pierre stopped. The boys turned around and started to walk back before Paulette held her hands up.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” she said, smile tinted with embarrassment. “We’re almost there, so you two go on ahead. Save me a seat, and a dance,” she winked at Percy who blushed, “And I’ll catch up to you.”

The boys looked at each other and pouted. Pierre looked to Paulette and slowly nodded. “Be quick and be safe, please.” he said.

“Yeah,” Percy said, crossing his arms, “If you take too long we’re going to come back and then you’ll have to deal with me complaining for the rest of the night.”

Paulette snorted and waved him off. “Yeah, yeah. Get going ya palooka. Try not to get too wasted while I’m away.”

The boys nodded and continued walking down the street. Paulette started heading back down the street she came from. Peridot stepped back into a building shadow as she watched the girl walking alone. It took some doing but for the next few minutes Peridot watched this girl searching the streets for a necklace she may or may not have dropped. It was kinda cute, watching her fumble around.

She sighed with a smile, watching for a moment before realizing: The other figure was missing.

Peridot bit her lip and started to look around the area before she heard a muffled scream. Her head snapped in that direction. She saw the girl, panic in her eyes as a gloved hand wrapped itself around her mouth. The other hand held a knife to Paulette’s throat. The figure, now clearly a man desperately in need of a shave, growled something out. From the distance Peridot could make out ‘give me your money’ or something of that nature.

Her first thought was to turn around and leave. She saw enough and if this escalated there could be police. The last thing she needed was to deal with the constables. And she remembered her diamond’s number one rule: Do not get involved with humans. She moved to leave when she caught a glimpse of the girl.Her eyes were red and tears streaked down her face. For a second their eyes met and something strange clicked in Peridot’s chest. She hadn’t felt guilt in a long time.

She stopped, then turned back to the girl. She was full on crying at this point, the blade beginning to press into her throat. Peridot sighed and shook her head. “I cannot let Pearl hear about this.” she grumbled. She glared at the mugger. Her eyes fixed on his stubble and mismatched clothes. She took a deep breath. Her vision narrowed as she bent her knee. The mugger turned for a second and saw Peridot. He started to turn Paulette towards Peridot, not taking his eyes off her.

And then she vanished. He didn't take his eye off her, but he blinked and she was gone. His brain was still processing this information when a fist slammed into his jaw. A bone shattering crack rang through the streets as the mugger was knocked to the ground, skidding a few feet before stopping. Peridot sighed and cracked her neck.

“Mm, need to practice my start up. That was slower than usual.” She muttered. Sighing she turned down to look at the girl. As soon as her assailant let go of her, she had fallen to the ground. Sitting in a pile, she looked up at Peridot. Eyes wide and breath short, she stared at the girl who probably saved her life.

Peridot felt herself start to redden with someone watching her. The last time she had this much attention on her, she died. That wasn’t a particularly fun experience, so she turned away and started to walk. As her hand brushed against the girl, she felt something snap out and grab her wrist. Both people froze at the contact; Paulette didn’t think before moving her hand and Peridot hadn’t been touched in a very long time. The vampire turned to look at the girl, dark green eyes mirroring light brown ones.

The girl swallowed, looking like she forgot how to breathe for a second. Then she smiled and said, “I don’t know who you are. But you can’t just save a girl’s life and walk away without giving your name.” Her voice was shakey, but she smiled. She was breathing heavily, still high off her adrenaline rush.

Peridot blushed and looked away before coughing into her fist. “It uh, I mean.” she mumbled. She chewed her lip a bit and scratched at her neck. She started running exit strategies in her brain. Nobody ever told her how to deal with this kind of situation, especially with a cute girl. “It um. Don't worry about it.”

Paulette stared for a moment. She nodded and put another hand over Peridot’s wrist. Pulling on it she helped herself to her feet and moved in front of Peridot. She smiled and shrugged. “Well then hero, I’ll go first. My name’s Paulette and I want to buy you a drink.”

Peridot blushed and almost swallowed her tongue. She was breaking so many rules right now. But that warm feeling in her chest didn't go away.

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live! Oh my glob, it feels like its been a thousand years. Thank you everyone for your patience. I've been back with my parents for the holidays and, that doesn't leave much time or energy for writing. So thank you all for your patience.
> 
> So what do you guys think. I did something about different, flashback chapter and stuff. I hope you guys like it. There'll be two more of these because I want to properly tell peridots backstory. Also I'm having fun writing 1920s slang.
> 
> Anyway let me know what you guys like or don't like. Any and all comments and kudos are appreciated. I'll see you guys next chapter.


	14. In which Peridot is "good" with emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot can dance. Apparently.

Peridot felt a new kind of uncomfortable. The lights and sounds of the city gave her a headache. Being trapped in a building with twice the sound and the stench of alcohol was far worse. A voice in her head kept telling her it was probably time to leave. But somehow this girl kept an iron grip on her wrist, and she couldn’t find it in herself to break it. 

 

Resigning herself to her fate, she trudged through the crowd. All around her were twenty-something year olds with not a care in the world and too much alcohol in their systems. The music pounded in her ears, vibrating through her spine. For a second she thought she felt her heart beat. It wasn’t beating, the music was just too loud. 

 

She had just about resigned herself to her fate when the grip let go. She blinked and looked up to a pair of hazel eyes. Paulette smiled at her, face slightly flushed. 

 

“Hey, wait here a second.” she said. “I just gotta go talk to some saps.” She motioned behind her, and Peridot saw the two boys from before sitting at a table. The smaller one seemed a few drinks in, his face bright red and his collar undone. The taller one seemed to be fine, no major signs other than the occasional hiccup. Paulette winked at Peridot and ran over to her friends, leaving Peridot standing like an idiot.

 

She shifted on her feet, relatively uncomfortable. She tapped on her leg along with the music. The speakeasy was moderately sized,  tables surrounding the square dance floor. At the far end of the room, the band blared its swing music. Trumpets and drums belted out note after note, and several couples were tearing up the dance floor. At the side of the room, a simple bar hugged the wall, the bartender serving drinks to people who probably shouldn’t be drinking but tipped really well.

 

After what felt like an eternity, a hand grabbed her by the wrist again. She flinched, whipping her head towards whoever touched her. She relaxed, seeing Paulette there looking slightly more flushed than before.

“Come on, let me buy you that drink I owe you.” she said with a toothy smile. Peridot swallowed before nodding. As she was dragged to the bar, she thought for a moment. She wondered why she didn’t leave when Paulette let go of her.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“And I’m telling ya, he’s doing it on purpose!” Paulette explained, downing another drink. “Like really, who needs to wear clothes that tight.”

Peridot hummed as she watched Paulette. A drink sat in front of her, mostly untouched. She found out the fun way that alcohol doesn’t really affect people that aren’t traditionally alive. Still, she found herself smiling and listening to Paulette continue to ramble on about her life. Apparently she was a college student, she wanted to do something with acting, and she was in this weird love triangle with the two boys. They’ve been stuck on that last part for the last twenty minutes.

 

“I mean really, it’s like. It’s like he doesn’t even notice that I like him.” she said, putting her glass down. Sighing, she leaned onto the table. “I mean, I swear. You give a guy all the right signals and he can’t take a freakin hint, you know?”

 

Peridot hummed and shrugged. “Then why bother? If it looks like a lost cause, feels like a lost cause and smells like a lost cause. It’s probably a lost cause.”

 

Paulette scrunched her brow. “What… what does a lost cause smell like?”

 

Peridot smirked. “It stinks. Duh.” she said snickering. Paulette looked at her before snorting and shoving Peridot in the shoulder.

 

“Oh my lord, that was terrible.” she snorted, shoving Peridot in the shoulder. “I’m going to need another drink if you’re going to keep throwing those at me.”

 

“Do you really need to use me to justify your problem?” Peridot said with a soft smile. Paulette looked at her and guffawed again, slapping at Peridot’s arm. Peridot laughed again, feeling the faint blush rising to her cheeks.

 

“See, I like you.” she said. “You’re an absolute doll, ya know? How’s a dame like you got no guys stuck on you?”

 

Peridot raised her eyebrow and chuckled. “Well, not liking guys helps a lot.” she said with a smirk. Paulette’s jaw seemed like it would hit the floor. For a moment, she stared at the vampire like she was… well a vampire. Peridot sighed and started to scoot her chair back. “Sorry, sorry. I think I said too much. I’ll just be go-”

 

“Wait, wait.” Paulette called out, grabbing Peridot by the wrist. “Don’t go. I mean come on, my best friends like sausage more than the average person should. I’m just surprised I’d find another girl who… ya know likes girls?”

 

Peridot paused. Blinking slowly, her mind turned this information over a few times. “So… you’re not weirded out by me liking girls.” she said, measuring each word carefully. Paulette nodded her head. “You ever danced with one?” She shook her head. Peridot hummed to herself and smiled. She reached over and took Paulette’s free hand with her own. 

 

“Let’s fix that.” she said with a fiendish smile. Standing up, she pulled the surprised girl out of her seat. Paulette managed a ‘wait what?’ before being dragged into the center of the room. Around them the music began to pick up as couples started flooding the dance floor. 

 

Paulette’s face burned with a glowing shade of red. She stuttered as Peridot pulled her onto the dance floor. Before her brain could fully comprehend what was happening, she found her world spinning. She spun on her toes before Peridot pulled her into a tight embrace. The world seemed to sparkle around her as Peridot smiled.

 

“What’s with that look?” she said with an impish grin. “Don’t tell me you’ve never danced before?”

 

Paulette looked back at the vampire before a faint blush rose to her face. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or Peridot being this close to her, but she smiled and held herself close to the vampire. “Uh, not like this.” she said with a laugh.

 

Peridot chuckled back to her as she stepped back from the girl. Holding Paulette’s hands in hers she smiled before moving into the rhythm. The band played int he back, a steady beat punctuated by the tings of brass. The dance floor was filled with couples, each swinging and moving to the beat. For the two girls, all of that seemed to fade away. Lost in the music, they danced as if the world had a spotlight on just the two of them. 

 

After a few minutes the song slowed to an end. With a final few notes, the couples continued to dance until the last note rang through the hall. Like that, the trance broke and Peridot stopped. She held Paulette in a dip, each staring into the other’s eyes. The two girls stood there, chests heaving with effort and exhaustion. The rest of the dance floor began to empty out as they stood there, not quite sure what to do.

 

Peridot’s head spun, her cheeks flushed. She brought Paulette to her feet, savoring the moment as heat flushed her face. The two stood there in silence, leaving Peridot to stew in unfamiliar feelings. After what must have been a century, or two minutes, Peridot cleared her throat.

 

“So, how was your first time?” she said, leading Paulette back to the sideline. 

 

With a smile, Paulette shrugged. “Well, you’re definitely much better on your feet than any of the boys I’ve danced with. Just one thing though.” Peridot raised an eyebrow before Paulette tapped her on the nose. “Next time, I wanna try taking charge. How’s that sound?” she said with a wide grin. Peridot felt something rush to her face as she forgot how to talk.  

 

She tried anyway, uttering a garble of not quite words. She bit her tongue halfway through the sad attempt, muttering a string of curse words under her breath. She looked up at Paulette who watched the sad affair, and was currently laughing so hard tears were streaming from her face. Peridot only blushed as she tried to recompose herself.

 

“I guess Percy doesn’t screw up like this, huh?” Peridot mumbled, ignoring the blush that covered her face.

 

Paulette wiped a tear away and shook her head. “No, he doesn’t. But honestly I don’t think I mind seeing you do that. It’s kind of cute.” Peridot stared at her like she had stars in her eyes. Paulette just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, hey who knows. Maybe he has some competition himself now. Speaking of, I think I see them looking for me. Someone has to make sure they make it back in one piece. Say, where can I find ya if I wanted to see ya?”

 

Peridot scratched at her neck. “Uh, I guess we could always try the same place as before? I uh. I’m usually around here there this time of night.”

 

Paulette nodded and opened her mouth to speak. Shouting from behind her cut her off before she groaned. “Okay, those two idiots need someone to walk them home. Tell ya what, let’s meet again tomorrow? Same time, same place?” Peridot mutely nodded as Paulette smiled. With a wave, Paulette turned and ran to her friends, yelling something about how stupid they were.

 

Peridot stood there, face flush and warmth in her chest. She shook her head, but the dance floor and music kept replaying over and over in her mind. The part that bothered her the most, was how little it bothered her. She groaned, trying to remember how normal people dealt with… emotions or whatever. Honestly she just wanted to hit someone. Then somebody bumped her.

 

“Oops! Well, hello there.” the man said, looking down at Peridot. He smiled a ten dollar smile, which only made Peridot’s mood worse. “What’s a dame like you doing out here by yourself? Lose your man somewhere in the crowd?”

 

Peridot’s eye twitched. She looked up at this skeevy guy, probably in his mid-twenties, dressed in clothes daddy had to have bought. Closing her eyes she took a breath before putting a smile on. “Well, I think I found him. Say I got some stress to work out. Wanna come out back and...help me?” she said, running her tongue over her lips. The boy swallowed, face turning flushed. Peridot smiled, taking him by the wrist. She made her way through the crowd with the boy in tow, looking for the back entrance.

 

The boy laughed and ran a hand through his slick greasy hair. “Wow, you really wanna get to necking don’t you?”

 

Peridot’s smile grew. “You could say that.”

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It only took her fifteen minutes to hide the body this time. Turns out she was right, no partygoers makes for a much quicker disposal. With all that extra time, it gave Peridot the luxury of walking home like a normal person, rather than running. As she entered the house, she didn't mind dusting her shoes off this time.

 

“You're back late.” Pearl said from the dining room. Peridot’s response was a shrug as she sat down at the table. Pearl looked at her over a book. “Something has you in a good mood.”

 

Peridot raised an eyebrow at her. “Where'd that come from?” She said.

 

“It’s been two minutes and thirty seven seconds,” she said, thumbing another page of her book, “And you have not  cursed, shouted,  nor made any sarcastic remarks. I dare say it was almost unsettling.”

 

Peridot shrugged before leaning back on her chair. “I guess I’m in a good mood today. Is that so hard to believe?”

 

“Quite.” Pearl said, flipping another page. “If you start smiling I might have to excuse myself.”

 

“You’re as pleasant as always. Is that book new, by the way?” Peridot said re-adjusting her glasses. “I don’t think I’ve seen you with it before.”

 

Pearl looked up and smiled. “Yes, our diamond left it here for me to study. I hope to learn some new skills before she arrives. And, well.” she snapped her fingers and a string of yellow energy bounced from her thumb to her index finger. “I’m a fast learner.”

 

“Huh. I guess that’s the advantage of not needing to sleep at all.” Peridot said with a smirk. Rolling her eyes, she pushed off from the table and stretched. “Speaking of, I think I’ll get some shut eye. Try not to set the house on fire while I’m sleeping.” Pearl waved her off, not bothering to look up from her reading.

 

Peridot went back to her room, head full of thoughts and pants halfway off. She threw herself onto her bed and hoped she could stop thinking. The feeling in her chest didn’t get the memo, as the warm tight sensation refused to stop. She closed her eyes and tried to let herself get some semblance of rest. No matter how hard she tried, every time she closed her eyes she saw nothing but brown hair and a wide smile.

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

She didn’t think she’d really show up. But come tomorrow night, Paulette was there standing on the street corner as bright as ever. And she was there the next day, and the day after that. Eventually it became their own little ritual, meeting  at that corner and picking somewhere new to explore every day. Despite herself, Peridot found herself getting into a routine.

 

And despite herself, Peridot found that feeling refusing to go away. With every night light rendezvous, and every song they danced, Peridot found herself feeling more and more things for the girl. As much as it scared her, she found herself feeling excited each night to see this girl.

 

This continued for two more weeks. And that night, just like any other night Peridot was about to head out of the house. Whistling to herself, she adjusted her bowtie and fixed her hair. A voice from behind her cleared her throat. 

 

“You’re heading out again?” Pearl said. Peridot turned and saw Pearl leaning against the door frame. Peridot frowned and shrugged at her.

 

“I’ve got stuff to do. Is that so wrong?” Peridot said, fiddling with her buttons.

“Nothing at all. I’m just worried you’ve been…. Getting yourself involved in things you might regret.” Pearl said. 

 

“I appreciate the concern.” Peridot said with an eye roll. “But I think I’ll be alright.” she turned and opened the front door. As the night wind blew past her hair, it felt colder than usual.

 

“If you insist.” Pearl said, heading back inside. “I’m just saying, you might want to clean up soon.”

 

“Our diamond is coming home tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention that I love writing vintage lesbians. Anyway, thanks for waiting for this. Peridot's flashback should be finished by the next chapter. So you all have that to look forward to!
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Knowing you guys enjoy this thing makes all the effort worth it! So yeah, kudos and comments are always appreciated. I'll see you guys next chapter.


	15. In which Peridot is in over her head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot is nervous. Paulette wants to help.

“You’re quiet tonight, babe.” The voice besides her snapped Peridot out of her thoughts. The sea breeze blew through her hair as she leaned over the pier railing. The moon shone brightly over the ocean, lighting up the waves as far as she could see. Turning to her side, she saw Paulette, leaning over the railing too. She looked at Peridot with gentle, worried eyes that caught the moonlight in a way that made Peridot’s heart want to beat again.

 

Sighing to herself, Peridot shrugged. “I… it’s nothing. I just got stuff on my mind.” she said, trying to memorize every inch of Paulette’s smiling face.

 

“It’s not nothing. Come on, talk to me.” she said, leaning over and linking arms with Peridot. “The whole mysterious brooding thing is overrated.”

 

Peridot looked over and sighed, sad smile on her face. “I, I have to tell you something.” Peridot said, turning back to the water. “I… I’m going away. For a while.”

 

Paulette looked over to her, slowly processing Peridot’s words. “I… I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong?”

 

“No, not even close!” Peridot said, turning back to Paulette. She reached out, holding Paulette with both her arms. Swallowing, Peridot looked around and tried to make her mouth do the word thing. A hand covered hers and she took a deep breath.

 

“I… spend a lot of time on the road. Honestly, this is the longest I’ve stayed in a single place in years.” Peridot said. Paulette’s hand gently tightened and Peridot exhaled. “My… well I guess you can call it a family. None of us would, but. Basically we travel a lot. And we’ve been waiting here for my...uh. I guess you can call her my mother. But she’s not.” Peridot groaned and held her head in her hands.

 

Paulette patted Peridot on her back as she hummed. “Well, I mean. Did she raise ya? Or make ya? Cause last time I checked, those are some motherly criteria.”

 

Smirking, Peridot, leaned against Paulette a bit and closed her eyes. “That makes it even more complicated. I just, she’s back after a month and she’s probably going to want to head out again.”  She sighed and leaned in closer to Paulette. “Between you and me, I am not excited to see her again. Hell, I’m just barely off terrified.”

 

Paulette started to idly rub Peridot’s shoulder. “Scared is… not how you should react to your mom coming home. That’s kinda messed up Peri.” A noncommittal shrug was Peridot’s response. “Hey, I have an idea.”

 

Peridot hummed and closed her eyes. “For the last time, I’m not going to steal a car for you. It’s illegal Paulette.” She got a gentle tap to the face.

 

“You’re still no fun. But no, that’s not my idea.” Paulette said with a pout. Shifting, she turned to face Peridot. The vampire almost fell over but Paulette caught her. The two looked at each other in silence until Paulette cleared her throat. “Run away with me.”

 

Peridot blinked. Her eyes saw Paulette say those words, but she didn’t really hear them for a few seconds. Her mouth moved before she was done hearing. “What the hell are you talking about?” she said.

 

“Run away with me.” Paulette said again, smiling wider. “You don’t wanna stay with your mom, right? Then don’t. Let’s go somewhere else just the two of us?”

 

Peridot stared back until a smile cracked her face. She snorted and pushed against Paulette’s shoulder. “Be serious. You’re making another one of your crazy ideas again.”

 

Paulette snorted and pulled Peridot into a tight hug. “Every inch of me is serious. It’ll be just us, and you won’t have to worry about anything. Cause I’ll be with you. We’ll get a place for the two of us and adopt a cat or somethin. It’ll be great!”

 

Peridot blushed and buried her face in Paulette’s shoulder. “You’re talking like a crazy person, Paulette.”

 

“I’m talking like someone who’s in love with you.” Paulette said. Then what she said hit her like a sack of hammers. She and Peridot both froze, the only sound they could hear being Paulette’s thumping heart. The human swallowed nervously and started to let go of the hug. “I, oh. Golly I didn’t.” she released her grip and started to back up. “I’m so sorry I-”

 

She didn’t get to finish that sentence before a pair of lips crashed into her mouth. Her teeth still felt from the impact, but that went away after a second. Peridot held onto the girl tighter than she imagined she would. It was, possessive and desperate and completely new for the vampire. Strong arms wrapped around her, making the vulnerable feeling in her chest disappear. The two kept in that embrace for what must have been, twenty or thirty seconds. Time stopped meaning anything to either of them the longer they held each other. And like that they stayed, Peridot trying to say words she didn’t know how to say. Paulette got the message.

 

The broke apart when Paulette remembered she needed to breathe. The two girls stepped back, panting from what just happened. The same shade of crimson covered both their faces as they stood there. With dorky smiles, they started to laugh before reaching to hold hands.

 

“I still think you’re crazy.” Peridot said, lighter than she was used to. “But, I think I like crazy.”

 

Paulette snorted and smiled wider. “Good, you better get used to it. Okay, I’m going to head back and get my things ready. Do you wanna come with?”

 

Peridot shook her head. “I have to tie up my end too. I’ll meet you later though. How’s-”

 

“Same place as usual?” Paulette smirked.

 

“Same place as usual.” Peridot smirked back. She squeaked when Paulette snuck a quick kiss in. Grinning like an idiot, she watched as Paulette ran off to her house. The night was dark, the wind was cold, but she felt warm for the first time in years.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

She didn’t rush home this time. In fact, she took her time. Wandering through the streets, Peridot didn’t really think about where she was walking. No matter how far she walked she couldn’t stop feeling Paulette’s lips on top of hers. She had to stop herself from grinning like a moron twice. She gave up after that and smiled all the way back.

 

When she got back to the house, she noticed something was wrong. The lights were all on and the front door was wide open. Picking up the pace she hopped up the steps and went into the door. She forgot to wipe her feet on the way in.

 

The hallway was lit up as most of the lights were turned on. Along the sides of the walls, bags and boxes were stacked, all in various levels of packing. AT the end of the hallway, Pearl walked down holding a stack of boxes bigger than herself. She dumped them with the others before turning to Peridot.

 

“Ah, there you are. You definitely took your time heading back.” Pearl said, dusting her pants off.

 

“Uh, yeah. What’s with all the moving stuff? Don’t we usually wait for our diamond to return before packing?” Peridot said. Her chest tightened a bit and she felt her skin get clammier than she thought possible.

 

“Well of course.” Pearl said, turning back towards the bags. She grumbled before zipping up a small suitcase. “Why else do you think I’ve been doing it? Without any help, I might add.” She threw an annoyed glare at Peridot at that part.

 

“Wait, she’s already here?” Peridot felt her chest tighten harder and her stomach fell. “I, uh. That’s great news. Where is she, upstairs?”

 

Pearl looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “What? She arrived right after you headed out. She told me she was going to head out and bring you back. Is she not with you?”

 

If Peridot needed to breathe, she’d be dead right now. Choking on her spit she forced a smile. “Oh, oooh. Silly me. I must have missed her. Uh, okay I’ll just go see if I can find her. I’ll be back soon.” she said too quickly. Turning around, she ran out of the house before Pearl started to complain. 

 

Her brain ran at more than a thousand miles a minute. Her diamond got home early. Her diamond went looking for her. Her diamond never gets lost, so she must have found her. She probably found her, so she saw- Peridot slammed to a halt as she hit the sidewalk. Ice clenched at her lungs as the realization hit her.

 

She turned and sprinted down the street. Pushing herself to the limit, she prayed she remembered Paulette’s address. She didn’t even believe in God, but for good measure she prayed that Paulette was safe.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It took her a minute to make it to Paulette’s house. She’s thankful that Paulette brought her there that one time. As she ran up the steps, she noticed that the living room lights were on and the door was slightly ajar. Swallowing her anxiety, she walked up the steps and gently pushed the door open.

 

“Paulette?” she called into the house. Her voice echoed through the hall. “It’s me, Peridot are you home?”

 

“Peri? I’m in here!” Paulette’s voice called back. Relief filled her as she heard the voice from the living room. Wiping her shoes off, she dashed into the living room, a broad smile on her face. The radio was still playing some music, and the lamp light was on. The sofa still in the middle of the room, between the entry doorway and the doorway to the kitchen. And there on the sofa, Paulette sat, folding some clothes in front of a suitcase.

 

“What happened to meeting me at our usual place?” Paulette said with a smirk. She turned to Peridot and giggled. “Don’t tell me you missed me that mu-” Peridot’s lips cut her off as the vampire dashed to the couch and took Paulette in her arms. She clung to her, all the fear and anxiety tightening her grip. The two broke apart after a second, Peridot’s face redder than before.

 

“I, thank god you’re safe.” she said, panting from the exertion. Paulette looked at her mildly confused.

 

“Uh, I’m glad you’re safe too? What’s all this about?” she said.

 

“Okay, uh listen are you done packing?” Peridot said, glancing at the mostly full suitcase. “Because we have to go. Like now.”

 

Paulette rolled her eyes and put the shirt in the suitcase. “Well I guess I am now. Peridot, will you tell me what’s going on? I’m actually starting to worry now.”

 

Peridot shook her head and hugged Paulette again. “I, okay. I might have been wrong about the time frame. My diamond, mom you know what I mean. She came home early. And I think she might have heard what we talked about. We have to go now, believe me you do not want her to find us.”

 

Frowning, Paulette leaned over and shut her suitcase. Taking a deep breath she turned to Peridot and patted a cushion on the couch. The vampire bit her lip but sat down next to her. “Peridot, I need you to take a breath. Like a long, deep breath. Okay, now let me get this straight. Your diamond is back, right? What’s she going to do ground you?”

 

Peridot snorted and scratched her neck. “Believe me, I’d be getting off easy if that happened.”

 

“Well, whatever she’s going to do, it’s fine. We were going to run away together, right?” She scooted closer and put a hand on Peridot’s leg.

 

“Yeah.” she stuttered and turned to Paulette. She looked radiant, but the anxiety of the situation made her seem duller than usual.

“And we were going to live happily ever after, right?” Paulette said with a smile. 

 

“Yeah. Yeah we are!” Peridot said, smiling wider. Paulette turned to her with that smile and Peridot got her first full look of her since she walked in. Her hair was wavier than usual, probably styled in a rush. Her smile was still as wide as the moon. A pair of holes in her ne-

 

Peridot’s stomach fell as the air in her chest vanished. She stared for a bit, trying to mouth words, but everything failed to work. As she processed, Paulette tilted her head at Peridot. “Peri? What’s wrong. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

 

“I-I. P-paulette.” Peridot started stuttering harder. The anxiety was back, and it flooded her system. Her lungs froze as she started to grab at her knees. “Before I got here, did you see anyone else?”

 

Paulette blinked at her. “What do ya mean? You talkin about your mom or something?”

 

      “Yes, I. Paulette what, what happened to you?” Peridot said, voice wavering.

 

      The girl scrunched her eyebrows in confusion before leaning in closer to Peridot. “I don't know what you're talking about.” She whispered, lips grazing against Peridot’s cheek.

 

      A shiver ran down Peri’s spine as Paulette leaned in closer. Her breath was warm and her hair smelled like hazelnuts. Peridot struggled to think as the girl started to wrap herself around her.

     “I'm just a simple girl, who fell in love with you.” She muttered leaning in closer. Peridot could feel Paulette's heart beat, not a fraction faster than normal. Her hands cupped around Peridots face and she breathed harder. Panic flooded her but she didn't want to think about it. She started to lean into Paulette.

 

      Paulette pulled Peridot closer. Brushing against her ear, she whispered, “I'm just a foolish girl, who got in over my head. And died like a fool.”

 

      Peridot’s eyes shot open as her entire body started to shake. Her hands started to fidget as Paulette's body went limp against her. She clenched her jaw as Paulette slid off her, her eyes vacant and a dead smile on her face. She kept shaking as she heard footsteps behind her.

 

      “Was it everything you imagined, Peridot?” Yellow diamond said. From the kitchen entrance she walked in, dragging the shadows along her hand and warping the light around her feet. She wore a long yellow dress that shone against her tan skin. Her gloves shone against the darkness around her, pale white on top of abyssal black. Blonde hair fell around her shoulders, framing the sadistic smile on her face.

 

      Peridot didn't even have to look to know it was her. Peridot had memorized the feeling that came from just being in the room with her. She clenched her hands and bit her lip. “What did you do to her?”

 

       “Tone.” Yellow said, voice resonating through the room. “I overheard your plan, Peridot. And I must say, you disappoint me.”

 

       Peridot squeezed her hands tighter. Blood started to leak from her lips, followed by a tear. “What did you do to her?” She asked again. Her voice cracked this time.

 

      Yellow diamond rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the couch. “Tone. One more out of you young lady, and I will rip that cheeky tongue out of your mouth. But to answer your question, I bit her. Then I did a trick on her, one that I haven't used since the last time I was in  Cairo. It must have been what, four hundred years at least?  People haven't changed at all, Peridot. Without their souls they make for fantastic flesh puppets.”

 

       Peridots eyes went wide as more tears streaked down her face. “What?” She choked out.

 

      “Oh, don't give me that, you're smarter than that Peridot. Do not make me repeat myself.” She said, walking around the couch. She stopped over Paulette's body. Kneeling down she took the girl by the chin and held her up. “I must say, I did a very convincing impression, didn't I? I swear I even had you convinced for a little while.”

 

      “Why?” Peridot choked out. She looked up at her diamond, fangs bared and eyes glaring down as hard as possible. “Why did you do this to her. She had nothing to do with this.”

 

       Yellow diamond looked back to Peridot with a smile on her face. Still holding Paulette's head in her hands she said, “Because I knew it would hurt you. I took you in, I saved your life on that dirty battlefield in Germany. And you want to repay me by running away?” She clicked her tongue. “It absolutely broke my heart Peridot. So, I figured what's the better way to pay back a broken heart with another. Or, maybe a broken neck.” She glared at Peridot before twisting Paulette's head. With a loud crack the body hit the floor.

 

      Peridot watched her fall for a lifetime. Scenes with Paulette flashed in her mind as her body crumpled against the wood floor. It twitched for a second, and then laid still.

 

      Her mind raced, her blood began to boil. She almost felt her heart beat again with all the adrenaline coursing through her. Taking a deep breath she looked up at Yellow Diamond.

 

       “Consider this your first and last warning.” Yellow said. “If you even dare think of defying me, you will pray for a quick and painless death. Now I want you to go back and finish helping Pearl pack. And I want you to carefully consider how you will beg for my forgiveness. Is that clear?”

 

      “Message received.” Peridot growled.

 

      In a blur of motion she kept from the couch. Clenching her fist as right as possible, she hurled a punch at her matriarch’s face. In an eyeblink she felt a hand strike her cheek. The force rocketed her into the wall. 

 

      Yellow diamond looked over with wide eyes. A vein began to pop from her head as she grounded her teeth. “You dare raise a hand against me?”

 

       From the wall, Peridot helped herself into one knee. Breathing hard she glared back at her former diamond. With a snarl she punched the ground. “It's more than that.” She growled, breathing heavily. “I will tear you to shreds!” She shouted. With a roar she grabbed at her shoulders. Her hand stretched and cracked, morphing into sharp white claws. Her skin paled to ivory as her pupils glowed dark crimson. The back of her shirt bulged before exploding out. A pair of leathery bat wings stretched behind her, easily double her own size. With a howl of rage, she charged at Yellow Diamond, her vision completely red save for the tears that blotted her vision.

 

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         The dust began to settle as her consciousness started to waver. She could feel the hand around her throat like a vice. Looking up she could make out yellow diamond, dark yellow eyes glaring down at her. Dark energy pulsed around the hand on her throat. A streak of blood ran down her chin. Peridot didn't think it was hers.

 

         “And even after all that, you barely managed to scratch me. You're as much a fool as you are ungrateful.” She said, contempt dripping from her fangs. “Do you have any last words before I end your insignificant existence?”

 

         Peridot was finding it difficult to make words happen in her head. Her head was getting really light, and she was pretty sure her wings had retracted and everything. She couldn't feel anything below her elbows either. A cursory glance downwards and the blood dripping onto the floor gave her a good idea why. The fact that she wasn't panicking properly was a proper testament to how much blood she lost. She had enough consciousness to look Yellow Diamond straight in the eyes and bite whatever part of her arm she could find as hard as she could.

 

           Yelping in pain, yellow diamond dropped Peridot to the floor before cursing under her breath. “You bitch! Fine. If that's the way you want it, so be it. I was going to grant you a quick death. But now?” Peridot felt a sharp kick to her chest knock her over and into the remains of the sofa. “Let your body fester and rot. Die slowly and painfully, knowing that through your own stupidity you killed two people.” With a stomp, she turned and stormed out of the building, leaving Peridot lying on the floor completely disarmed and bleeding.

 

            The remarkable thing about vampire healing is just how much blood a vampire can lose before expiring. She couldn't focus enough to count the time, all she could do was feel the aching pain through her body, and feel the nauseating guilt in her stomach. She was crying for most of her time on the floor. The adrenaline faded and all she had left was the guilt welling up inside her brain. She kept picturing Paulette's smiling face to try and make her feel better. It only really made things worse.

 

             Sometime in the future she passed out. She knew this because something woke her up. A loud wooden tearing noise jolted her out of her sleep. A voice from the main entrance rang through the building.

 

             “This should be the place. From what the witnesses said, she was here not too long ago.” The voice said. Footsteps came closer. “Well, judging by the looks of this, there was definitely some sort o- Oh my stars.”

 

              Peridot could make out a woman's silhouette in the doorway. She walked into the living room tentatively. Her hands shook as she reached for Paulette's body. They shook even harder when she reached for Peridot. She screamed when Peridot coughed.

 

              “Pearl, are you alright?” An older woman's voice called out. 

 

               This…. Pearl as she was called turned around. Peridot stared at blurry pink hair that was six inches in front of her. Pearl stood up and turned back to the entrance. “Rose! Rose come quick you have to see this! There's a survivor, I think! She's missing her ar-” 

  
               Peridot tried really hard to pay attention, but exhaustion kicked in again. She started to black out again as hurried footsteps entered the living room. As she closed her eyes she tried imagining Paulette smiling again. She couldn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed a hug after writing this one. Sorry it took so long, real life got in the way, plus this wasn't the easiest chapter to write.
> 
> Any comments and kudos are welcome and appreciated. They'll help the healing process, I swear. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled Lapidot cuddles next chapter, after I go see my therapist again. I'll see you all next chapter.


	16. In which Lapis is swept off her feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone needed a hug after that backstory. Especially Peridot.

They sat in silence. Peridot shifted uncomfortably as she finished. The stupid batman movie was still paused in the background. She still leaned against Lapis’s shoulder, the taller girl having been silent during the story. The silence drifted between them for a few seconds longer than Peridot wanted. As she sat there, she closed her eyes. Behind her lids she could see everything she said, every scene playing back just as bright as it was every day. She cleared her throat.

 

“Uh, yeah. Like I said, it was a long story.” Peridot said. Her voice cracked as she tried to force a smile. “Wow, uh. Feels like I’ve been talking for weeks. Sorry I got carried away.” She scooted off of Lapis and hopped onto the floor. Her breathing got heavy and her eyes started to itch. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I should probably go. I’m so-”

 

A pair of arms grabbed onto Peridot. She froze as they wrapped around her. Her breathing sped up as she found herself pressed against Lapis’s chest. Her breath caught in her chest as her arms tensed up. Lapis’s breathing came in bursts, shuddering against Peridot’s back. She felt Lapis press her face against her head. Peridot bit her lip. “Lapis? Wha-”

 

“You didn’t talk too much.” Lapis said into Peridot’s scalp. Squeezing Peridot tighter, she tried to keep herself steady. Her arms shook as she held onto the stunned vampire. “That was horrifying, and I just. I can’t believe you went through that and.” Her shoulders shook as tears started coming. “I’m sorry I’m crying, I just. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

 

Peridot felt something in her gut, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was. She squirmed and turned around, pushing Lapis back a bit to look at her face to face. Her eyes were red and her nose was runny and Peridot just wanted to hug her right then. She put that thought on hold for a sec, ignoring her own itching eyes. “You-You don’t have to be sorry Lapis. Really, it, it happened a long time ago. I’m a vampire it’s no big de-”

 

“It’s a big deal.” Lapis said. Peridot yelped as the girl reached out and laid her hands over hers. “I don’t care if you’re a vampire or a demon or freaking older than me. It hurt you Peridot.”

 

Peridot stared at Lapis for a second. The images in her mind still flashed and she felt sick. She clenched her teeth before shaking her head. “I’m fine Lapis. It happened and it’s done. It wasn’t some freak accident. It was my fault anyway for-”

 

“Don’t.” Lapis said. Peridot froze, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. “You were going to say this was your fault right? That what yellow did was because you did something wrong? That Paulette is dead because of y-”

 

“Yes she is!” Peridot shouted. The two sat there as Peridot’s eyes started to water. She bit her lip to stop it. “Okay, yes. Yes she’s dead because I fucked up, alright? That’s why I have this stupid story to tell you in the first place. She’s dead because I dragged her into this. She’s dead because I didn’t protect her. She’d dead becau-”

 

“Stop it.” Lapis said, more firmly this time. Peridot froze again, tears threatening to come out again. “Peridot, I need you to take a deep breath for me.” Peridot glared at Lapis who glared back. Swallowing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Peridot, look at me.” 

 

Peridot squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. A gentle hand touched her shoulder. She shivered from the contact before shaking her head harder. “Peridot. I’m here, listen to me. It’s not your fault. And I’ll keep saying it till you believe it.”

 

Peridot grabbed at her elbow before taking a deep breath. She wanted to say something stupid. She wanted to just scream as memories continued to repeat in her head. The scenes from her story kept replaying over and over in her head as she tried to hold herself. She shook as her brain replayed the last scene over and over again in her head. Yellow Diamond’s rage. The house. Paul-

 

A hand touched her arm and she opened her eyes. Lapis sat there, small smile on her face. “Hey, you’re breathing. Good job.” she said. Peridot blinked as she noticed her own chest moving. Looking back at Lapis she took a deep breath. Yellow diamond flared in her head. The pain burned in her arms. She swallowed and looked Lapis in the eyes.

 

“It still hurts.” she said, sniffling. Something ran down her cheek as she shook her head. “Goddammit Lazuli, I’ve spent the last ninety years ignoring this. Stop making me feel things.”

 

Lapis shook her head. “Bottling up your feelings isn’t healthy Peridot. At least, that’s what my therapist used to tell me.”

 

Peridot scoffed and smirked at Lapis. Two more things ran down her cheeks. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to therapize me Lazuli.”

 

“Never, I’m not qualified to do that.” Lapis said. “I just, I can tell. That story really hurts, just thinking about it. Doesn’t it?”

 

Peridot frowned and looked away. She sniffed as her vision blurred a bit. “I didn’t know it did. Nobody ever listened to the full story before.”

 

Lapis reached out and touched Peridot on the cheek. The vampire blushed at the contact and  turned away. “Thank you for telling me then. I’m glad you trust me enough to share with me.”

 

That feeling in her gut only bothered Peridot more. It was starting to feel nice. Peridot sighed and nodded. “I mean, we are soul bonded right now, aren’t we?”

 

Snorting, Lapis tried to contain a smile. “I guess you can say we’re-”

“Don’t you dare.” Peridot said, smiling as another tear came down her cheek.

 

“We’re soul mates.” Lapis said, not stopping her smile. Miming finger guns at Peridot, she laughed as the vampire brought a hand to her face. “Get it? Because we’re sharing soul… stuff. Get it?”

 

“You’re a giant dork.” Peridot said, hiccuping between words. She turned back to Lapis with a shy teary smile. “Lapis, I know you did a lot for me already. Can you do me one more thing?”

 

“Anything.” Lapis said, wiping at her eyes. Her sniffles had mostly gone away by then.

 

“Okay,” Peridot said, trying hard to breathe. She pushed the images in her head away, focusing on the girl in front of her. “Don’t judge me for a few minutes, please?”

 

Lapis tilted her head in confusion. Blinking in realization, she nodded and spread her arms. The smaller girl slowly inched her way closer. She pressed herself against Lapis, feeling warm arms embracing her. She closed her eyes and listened to Lapis’s heart beat. Her breaths became more ragged with each new one. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped Lapis in a tight hug and exhaled. Then she let herself cry. She cried, letting out everything she could feel. Almost a century’s worth of pain had built up inside Peridot’s chest. For once, she felt something loosen as her tears eroded the pain. It was different and scary. But letting herself be a scared little vampire for a minute felt good.

 

Lapis just sat there, smiling gently as she stroked Peridot’s back. She made sure not to judge.

 

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A few minutes later, after Peridot got most of her crying out, the two still sat there. Silence filled the room as the sobbing died away. Lapis just sat there, cradling Peridot in her arms while rubbing her back. She smiled and let out a long sigh.

 

“Feel better?” she said. Peridot nodded into her shirt. Lapis stroked the back of her head and hummed. “You still wanna keep hugging, or do you want some space?”

 

Peridot shook her head. “I like it here.” she said, voice muffled by Lapis’s torso. “It’s warm and it smells nice.”

 

“What, the shirt or me? You gotta be more specific.” she said, blushing.

 

“Yes.” Peridot said. Reluctantly, she let go of Lapis and scooted back. The taller girl opened her arms a bit, but didn’t let go of the vampire. She didn’t seem to mind.  Clearing her throat, she said, “Thank you Lapis. Really, just. Thank you.”

 

Lapis smiled and shrugged. “Eh, don’t mention it. I’m guessing I helped out?”

 

“Something like that.” Peridot said. She looked down, fiddling with her thumbs for a minute. “So, I’m guessing we won’t be sleeping after all that. I mean, I don’t feel like sleeping right now anyway.”

 

“I think we’re both a little worked up from, ya know.” Lapis said. Peridot nodded back.

 

“Well, I. I got an idea for something we can do to pass the time. You interested?” She said. Seeing Lapis nod, she continued. “Okay, great. You go grab a sweater. I’ll meet you outside.”

 

Lapis was on board for the plan until she heard ‘outside’. She started to complain, but the vampire had jumped off her lap and disappeared before she could open her mouth. Resigned to her fate, she got up and trudged her way to her room. The mess that greeted her was a bit intimidating, but she ignored it like usual. Grabbing the first zip-up she could find, she put it on and turned to head outside.

 

She found Peridot on the balcony. Peridot leaned on the railing, staring up at the crescent moon. The moonlight danced around her, making light blonde hair seem to glow. Her torso moved gently with every breath, and Lapis could see the muscles that the tank top didn’t cover up. But that all paled when Lapis saw the sky around her. The stars surrounded her, making her seem to shine even brighter in the evening light. The void around them made her look smaller, but somehow not even close to fragile.

 

Lapis snapped out of her staring when Peridot turned her head. “Nice out, isn’t it?” she said. She smiled, her face brighter than the moon, making Lapis really wish she had a camera right now. “Okay, let’s get this started.”

 

She had prepared a list of responses in her head. Snarky comments were difficult and Lapis liked to be prepared for almost every occasion. Everything flew out the window when a tank top hit her in the face. Her face burst into red as the tank top fell to her feet.

 

Peridot had turned around to face Lapis. The night shadow covered most of her body, only showing Lapis streaks of white. Mostly muscled or freckled streaks of white. Lapis wanted to stare, but that proved hard after making eye contact. Peridot was looking at her with a playful smirk. She ran her tongue over her lips and an exposed fang. Her eyes were soft, but completely focused on Lapis. The vampire’s smirk widened before she chuckled. 

 

“Geez, quit staring. You’re acting like it’s the first time you’ve seen me like this.” Peridot said. Lapis shook her head, trying really hard not to imagine Peridot’s smooth skin, or her muscle tone, or the abs she had if you looked close eno- And she was walking towards her. Lapis froze, lips flapping as Peridot made her way over to her. Smiling Peridot stepped up to her and pulled Lapis close. Lapis swore her heart was going to explode as Peridot’s face moved to her neck. The vampire breathed slowly, sending shivers down Lapis’s neck before sending a sharp prick into her jugular.

 

Lapis squirmed, heart still nervous and the rest of her following suit. Before she could finish wrapping her head around this, Peridot had already detached herself. Breathing heavy, Lapis watched as Peridot backed up a bit, smiling as a bit of red dripped down her lip. 

 

“Sorry, just needed a quick boost. Now then, back to the idea.” Peridot said. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Then with a rush of air, a pair of grey wings erupted from Peridot’s back. They were folded at first, then unfurled themselves in a snap. Flapping them once, Peridot sent a gust of air that almost blew Lapis’s hair back. Letting  the breath go, Peridot opened her eyes and extended her hand. “Do you trust me?”

 

Lapis stood, awestruck and slightly turned on. Swallowing the butterflies in her stomach, she looked at Peridot’s hand and took it. She watched Peridot smile as she led them to the railing. Then she pulled Lapis close. The girl yelped as she was suddenly pressed against Peridot’s chest, both arms wrapped around her. She heard the wings move, and with a rush of air they started to flap. The rush and the wind felt amazing as Lapis looked up to watch the wings move against the night sky. And then she looked down and realized her feet weren’t touching the floor anymore. Taking a deep breath, she reacted in a perfectly calm rational way.

 

“Peridot holy crap!” she screamed. Rationally of course. 

 

The vampire cackled as they rose into the air. “Lapis, if you dig your nails into my back that hard, you’ll re-open my wounds.” she said with a smile. Wind rushed past her as they came to a stop. She held the shaking Lapis in her hands. “Hey, hey. Look at me. I’m here.”

 

Lapis swallowed and looked up. Peridot’s face glowed in the moonlight, and the stars  shone around her. Emerald eyes looked at her, worry tinging their sides. As her eyes met Lapis’s, she broke out into a wide smile. It glowed brighter than the other crescent in the sky. As she looked, her shaking stopped, and her breathing started to slow. Peridot’s arms loosened around her.“There ya go. Here, lemme show you what I wanted you to see.” 

 

Reaching back, she took hold of Lapis’s hands. She put her feet under Lapis’s and spun her around gently. Lapis closed her eyes instinctively before taking a deep breath. She felt Peridot’s hands supporting her, and the breeze blew through her hair. She opened her eyes. The entirety of Beach City laid sleeping underneath her. Lights seemed to flicker, but the streetlights shone brightly. If she leaned back, it felt like she was looking at a mirror. The stars above, shining as beautifully as the ones on the ground. The ocean spread into the distance. Long and clear, it stretched into the sky, reflecting the moon like a murky mirror. 

 

“So, what do you think?” Peridot asked behind her. The only things she could hear were the flapping of her wings and Lapis’s heart. 

 

“It’s so beautiful.” Lapis said. “Like, it all feels so small. But it also feels huge.”

 

Peridot let a sigh of relief. “Wanna see it up close?” she asked.

 

“Can we?” Lapis said. She didn’t hear a response. She just felt Peridot’s hands let go of hers before wrapping around her waist. A powerful gust of wind blew past her as Peridot flapped her wings harder. The grip around her waist tightened as she felt Peridot start to lean forward. Taking a deep breath, she kept her eyes opened as they started to fall.

 

The wind rushing past her hair was cold. It chilled her, and nipped at her cheeks. She didn’t want it to stop. The ground below them grew in size, trees going from models to full grown leaves in her face. Peridot pulled them up, gliding them through the trees. A leaf hit her face and she held onto it, smiling as she watched the forest rush past her. With a powerful beat of her wings, they burst out of the forest, flying over the beach and then the ocean.

 

The ocean felt different tonight. She spent a good part of her childhood out here, splashing and swimming in the waves. As they flew over the ocean, Peridot lowered them close enough to see their reflections. Lapis reached out and touched her mirrored face. She watched the water ripple underneath her hand, the waves spreading out and distorting the moon. She saw the sky flutter beneath her, the stars almost dancing. She smiled and laid her hands over Peridot’s own as the vampire pulled them up.

 

The ascent was far less harrowing this time. Lapis just held onto Peridot’s hands the whole time, focusing on keeping her breathing stable. Her heart kept pounding no matter what she did. They stopped after breaking the cloud layer. The two of them standing there over a sea of white. Lapis smiled before trying to turn around.

 

Peridot grabbed her by the hands again and turned her around. This time she brought Lapis close to her, the two wrapping arms around each other. Both blushed harder than they imagined before looking away. Coughing, Lapis smiled a bit.

 

“Peridot, I. Thank you. That was amazing.” she said. She turned back to the vampire. “Do you do this often?”

 

Peridot turned back, face still rosey. “Sometimes. It’s a really good way to clear my head. It beats playing dating sims.”

 

Laughing, Lapis buried her face in Peridot’s shoulder. “How can you be a badass vampire and a huge dork at the same time?”

 

“Uh, a century of practice I guess.” She started laughing too. 

 

“Glad to see hard work paying off.” Lapis said. She kept laughing as that pounding in her chest wouldn’t stop. Holding Peridot this close wasn’t helping, and she started to figure out why. Sighing, she rested her chin on Peridot’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I’m not Paulette.”

 

Peridot froze for a second and Lapis instantly regretted everything. She bit her lip and contemplated how hard it would be to just start falling right now. If she started to shake Peridot’s hands loose, she could probably make it halfway to the ground before Peridot tried to save her. The vampire cleared her throat. Lapis closed her eyes, expected the worst. Instead, Peridot held her tighter, putting a hand on the back of Lapis’s head.

 

“You’re not her. And that’s a wonderful thing.” Peridot said. She reached her hand to Lapis’s side and gently pulled the girl back. The two stood there, standing face to face. “You’re Lapis Lazuli, and right now I wouldn’t want anyone else here.”

 

Lapis looked at Peridot, wide-eyed. Her heart was beating out of control. She bit her lip. “I. I know, I just thought you’d want to.” she swallowed and shook her head. “I don’t know, you’d want to do this with somebody you had affection for or… something.”

 

Peridot looked confused before shaking her head. “No, Lapis. I mean, of course I’d want to. I just, I don’t care about Paulette right now, okay? I mean I cared about her, but. But I’ve had a long time to move on. And you’re nothing really like her and that’s a good thing. And I mean, you still have good things in common like you’re nice but. But I mea-” A finger to her lips cut her off.

Lapis smiled and laughed a bit. “You’re rambling Peri. Take a deep breath and try again.”

 

Nodding, Peridot took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Paulette is Paulette. And you’re you. And tonight, even after that story I wanted to do this with you. Any other girls didn’t even cross my mind.”

 

Lapis swallowed and blushed hard. Chuckling she looked away. “Damn Peridot, did you learn that from one of your dating sims.”

 

“I told you it’s a real hobby!” Peridot half-shouted. The two kept laughing, bright blushes on their cheeks. Lapis looked back to Peridot, smile still on her face.

 

“Peridot. You- I mean.” She started but began to stumble. “I mean I’m saying that you. That I think. I think you’re really, really good at making my life more complicated.” she said. She reached out, hugged Peridot close and kissed her on the cheek. “Take that as a thank you.” 

 

Peridot blinked, mouth agape for a moment. The cheek kiss replayed in her head a few times before she remembered how to use her face. Shaking her head and smiling she looked back to Lapis. “Any time. And this is thanks for making my life more fun already.”

 

Lapis didn’t really make any noise as Peridot went in for the kiss. As their lips met, the two hesitated for a moment. They stayed an inch apart for a second, frozen in place. Lapis closed her eyes and pulled the vampire closer. For a moment the world seemed to slow down as the two embraced each other. The kiss was soft and slow, but a little nervous. Lapis stopped wishing her heart would stop beating so hard. Peridot was wishing she had one that still beat just for this moment.  It wasn’t perfect, but for these two?

 

It was definitely more than good enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since I was a kid I was fascinated with flight. I always wished I could do it too. I'm hoping I did it justice here.
> 
> Happy early valentines day out there for all that celebrate it. And for those that don't, happy day after valentines day. Ya know, when all the chocolate that didn't get sold is like half off? I hope you guys have a good one, and thanks for waiting for the fic.
> 
> As usual kudos and comments and stuff. I enjoyed reading about how people reacted to my chapters. And the tears, yeah those are fun too.  
> I'll see you guys next chapter.
> 
> Edit: Hey guys check out this fanart from Ridl
> 
> http://ridl.tumblr.com/post/157203541914/fanart-of-vampire-peridot-from-bite-me-i-highly
> 
> It's awesome, she's awesome and everyone should check her out.


	17. In which Lapis had a good night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis and Peridot are terrible at talking. Pearl is a crier. So really, nothing new.

The nice part about waking up is the dreams. Lapis was having her last dream for the night. As she and Peridot flew through the air, she could feel the wind rippling through her hair. Everything felt at peace. The dream ended gently, bringing Lapis back to consciousness. Yawning, she blinked a few times before snuggling back into the sheets. The dream from last night played in her head, still fresh from her slumber. She could still feel Peridot’s lips on hers. Blushing terribly, she held her face in her hands. Why do dreams how to feel so realistic? And why does it feel like the middle of the afternoon. And why is there a mess of blonde hair in front of he-

Freezing, Lapis swallowed as she processed her situation. She was in her underwear, which she does when she sleeps. Sometimes. The room felt warmer than usual, but that could just be her. Peridot was sleeping about two inches from her facing away. That wasn’t normal. Lapis’ eyes widened as she mentally went back over her night. Cause she definitely dreamt she kissed Peridot ri-

 

Peridot shifted, making Lapis lock up. With a groan, the vampire rolled in bed till she was facing Lapis. Their noses almost touched. Peridot blinked her eyes, rubbing away the sleep with a hand. As her eyes focused, they found Lapis’. The vampire smiled, still partly asleep. “Mornin.” she said.

 

Lapis forgot to think. She thought she was remembering… something properly. But the second Peridot looked at her with those bedroom eyes, her head went blank of everything not Peridot. She blinked a few times, moving her mouth to try and make words. This wasn’t helped by a pair of sleepy but strong arms that wrapped themselves around her.

 

Suddenly Lapis found herself in a tight embrace with her vampire. Peridot’s face was buried in Lapis’ neck, the gentle breathing leaving shivers down her spine. Their legs tangled themselves under the sheets. Lapis’ heart was beating hard enough to worry  the average cardiologist. Closing her eyes she pinched her hand a bit. Determined she was in fact, not dreaming she hugged Peridot back.

 

“Uh. Good morning Peri.” she said, rubbing Peridot’s back. The vampire nuzzled against her in approval and Lapis felt heat rising through her. Blushing harder she swallowed before saying, “Hey uh, Peridot. Can I ask ya something?”

 

Peridot grumbled and hugged Lapis closer. “Don’t make me think too hard before breakfast.”

 

“Don’t worry, uh. Just nod if you agree how’s that?” Lapis said. She felt a nod on her shoulder. “Okay, uh. So last night, we actually fought a giant patchwork monster, right?” A nod. “And after that I definitely took you back here and we had girl’s night right?” Another nod. Peridot shifted slightly. “A-and.  And after that, we flew right? Like, that’s real not just a dream right?” Peridot nodded before moving back. She looked at Lapis’ face with something between amusement and confusion. Lapis swallowed as she started her next question. “And. And we kissed right? Like for real, kissed?”

 

Peridot hummed before cupping her hand around Lapis’ cheek. “You mean like this?” she said. She moved in and planted a gentle kiss on Lapis. Lapis tried to kiss back, but she forgot how kissing worked. The vampire’s lips turned her brain off, a feeling that was surprisingly pleasant. After what felt like two years Peridot pulled away, leaving Lapis a wide-eyed, smiling, panting mess.

 

“I don’t think I believe it, can we do that again?” Lapis said with a smile. Peridot snorted before obliging her. The two held each other as they kissed again. This time they were slower, more deliberate. Holding each other, they just tried to savor the moment. As Peridot pulled away again, Lapis practically had stars in her eyes. “Wowzers. I mean, uh… wait Peridot. We uh, didn’t do anything past that right?”

 

Peridot raised an eyebrow to Lapis. Lapis kept glancing at her, then down to her torso then back to her eyes. Snorting Peridot pulled Lapis closer again. “Yep, I’m carrying your child Lazuli. Take responsibility.” she said, face completely stone solid. Lapis snorted, pushing her in the shoulder. “Okay, okay. No we didn’t. After we got back, you passed out and I carried you to bed.”

“Uh, and why am I in my underwear?” Lapis asked with a smirk.

“Well, I couldn’t  leave you in your dirty clothes right. Sorry, did you end up minding?”

 

Blushing, Lapis laughed a bit looking away. “Well, I mean. It’s not like you haven’t done the same with me. So I guess we’re even. Actually wait, why’re you here? I mean I’m glad you’re here but I mean, that i-”

 

“You’re rambling Lapis.” Peridot said with a wry smirk. “And what kind of girl would I be to kiss and run? You have a softer bed than I do anyway.”

 

Lapis blushed harder and snuggled closer to Peridot. “Well, this is. This is nice, right? Okay I’m like, really new to this stuff. Can you tell me what happens next before I embarrass myself further?”

 

The vampire blinked and thought for a moment. Then she shrugged. “I dunno. I mean, what do you want to happen next?”

 

“I, hm.” Lapis looked up as she tried sorting out her thoughts. After overexerting her brain, she nodded. “I think I want you to kiss me again. Other than that, no clue. I’ve winged it most of my life, so why stop now, right?”

 

Peridot chuckled pulling Lapis closer. “Yeah, well. I guess we should talk about us or whatever. But I think that’s a conversation that can wait till after breakf-”

 

A loud vibration startled both of them. Turning around, Lapis saw the culprit sitting on her night stand: her phone sat on the wood, shaking like a kid on a sugar rush. Groaning, she turned back to Peridot and sighed. She disentangled herself from Peridot, taking her sweet time because she kept getting distracted, and sat up. Picking up her phone, she yawned and read the home screen. She almost dropped it when she saw the twenty-seven missed calls from Pearl.

 

Cursing to herself, she debated whether to call now or come up with a better excuse. And then it started to ring again. Taking a deep breath, she swiped the phone icon and put the phone to her ear. “Uh, hi Pearl. How are you doing?” she said.

 

“LAPIS LAZULI WHY DIDN’T YOU ANSWER YOUR PHONE!?” Pearl shouted. Lapis had to move her phone about three inches to avoid ear damage. Peridot, leaning on an elbow snickered at Lapis’s pain.

 

“I’m sorry, I actually just woke up. I had a bit of a long night.” Lapis said, scratching at her neck.

 

“You just woke up?! It’s already two in the after- nevermind it’s not important. Are you safe?” Pearl asked.

 

“Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine.” Lapis said, leaning back with a hand on the bed. Peridot poked at it a bit. “I mean, why are you asking?”

 

Pearl went silent for a bit. “Because, I heard there was a commotion last night in the junkyard. When I went to check it out, I saw the wreckage and craters, and the blood!And you wouldn’t answer your phone, and I. I would’ve been there in a flash and. And.” her voice started breaking as Lapis heard the sniffles starting.

 

“Pearl?” Lapis said. “I can explain. I’ll be over in a few minutes, is that alright?”

 

Pearl sniffed on the other end of the phone. “Okay. I just, I’m glad you’re safe. I have something I meant to show you anyway.”

Lapis smiled. “Thank you. Also do you mind if I bring someone over? I kinda, owe her for keeping me safe last night.”

 

“Of course, please bring them over.  I’ll put on some tea. I’ll see you soon Lapis.” Pearl said before hanging up.

 

Sighing to herself, Lapis held her phone in her hands. She grumbled a bit before a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her. Peridot yawned, resting her chin on Lapis’s shoulder. “Did I hear you correctly? Because I thought I heard you say that you’re going to talk to Pearl?”

 

Lapis hummed and bumped her head against Peridot’s. “Close. We are going to talk to Pearl. You, uh. You know her right?”

 

Looking away, Peridot grumbled a bit. “Yeah, I guess. I don’t really know if she’d want to see me again anyway. I haven’t seen her in about, twenty years.”

 

“Come on, you saved my life. Like, three times now. She has to love you.” Lapis smiled at her, causing the vampire to blush.

 

Peridot sighed overdramatically. “I guess. So, I’m guessing we’re pushing that talk about us till later?”

 

“Well, do you want to talk about that stuff with Pearl?” Lapis snickered as Peridot stuck her tongue out. “Yeah, I figured. Come on, let’s get some real clothes on and go see my bird mom.”

 

“Fine,” Peridot said, stretching the sleep out of her joints. “But I’m stealing one of your shirts.”

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m just saying, having a drawer of t-shirts is normal,” Peridot said, walking next to Lapis, “but having a dedicated pile of them is a bit excessive, don’t you think?”

 

Lapis stuck her tongue out at Peridot. “Let she who does not live in a barn be the first to judge. At least we managed to find a shirt of mine that actually fit you.” She giggled as Peridot shoved her in the elbow. The two laughed as they reached Pearl’s front door. Taking a deep breath, Lapis looked to Peridot and back to the doorbell. Sighing, she rang the bell.

 

The door burst open instantly. Lapis didn’t have time to yelp before she was wrapped in a familiar pair of arms. Pearl had practically jumped out the door and grabbed Lapis in a bone-crushing hug. She held onto Lapis, shoulders shaking as she openly wept into Lapis’ shoulder.

 

Tears began to well in her eyes as Lapis hugged Pearl back. “I’m so sorry.” Lapis said. “I’m sorry I worried you like that.”

 

Pearl shuddered as she held Lapis closer. “I… I just.” She sniffled as she tried to slow her tears. “Just, don’t do that again. I was so scared I lost you.”

 

Lapis rubbed Pearl’s back. “I’m here Pearl, I’m here. And I’m alright. I had someone protecting me.” Lapis said, rubbing her face on Pearl’s shoulder.

 

Pearl sniffled, breathing relaxing. She stepped back, looking at Lapis with a shaky smile. “I, I know. You said you’d bring her, right? Is she here?”

 

Nodding, Lapis turned to look behind her. Peridot stood behind her, body rigid and jaw clenched. She didn’t move until Lapis touched her hand. Breathing again, she looked at Lapis before taking a deep breath. She stepped past Lapis, eyes to the ground. “Uh, hi Pearl.” she said, awkwardly. “It, uh. It’s been a long time, huh?”

 

Peridot clenched her hands as she waited. She didn’t enjoy the quiet. As she stood there, the air around her seemed to be too loud. Her breath was too shallow. She could swear that her heart was pounding right now, because something had to be causing the pounding in her head. She was about to look up and say something before she felt herself yanked into an embrace. She stammered into Pearl’s chest before Pearl spoke.

 

“Twenty years.” Pearl said, squeezing Peridot tight. “And you decide to come back by saving my kid.”

 

Peridot blinked for a bit before snickering. “Twice, actually. But she saved my life twice too, so I think it evens out.”

 

Peal laughed as she stepped back. Folding her hands over her stomach, she smiled at Peridot. “I, oh my god Peridot. What have you and my daughter been doing these past few days. Let me guess, you’re the one who bit her, aren’t you?”

 

“Well I mean.” Peridot smiled sheepishly. “If I say yes are you still going to be happy to see me?”

 

“Probably.” Pearl said. She laughed as Peridot rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I’m glad our neighborhood vampire was you, Peridot. Have you been in Beach City this entire time?”

 

“I’ve only been back a few years. I, uh. I figured you didn’t want to see me since I left right after. You know.” Peridot said, scratching the back of her head.

 

Pearl bit her lip before shaking her head. “I wished you could’ve seen Steven when he was growing up. Actually, you probably would’ve met Lapis too.” she said, turning to the confused Filipina. “You missed her goth phase.”

 

“Pearl, shut up!” Lapis shouted, beet red in the face. “I thought you promised we would never speak of that time again.”

 

Pearl tried to cover her smile before laughter broke free. “Oh come now Lapis. She should at least hear about your Twilight phase.”

 

“You used to have a vampire fetish?” Peridot said with an amused smile. “That puts so much into perspective. Should I start wearing glitter or would that be a bit on the nose?”

 

Lapis didn’t answer. She just covered her crimson face with her hands and screamed into her palms. She paused for a second to flip Peridot off, before covering her face and resuming the screaming. Peridot looked back to Pearl and the two started to laugh. “You’re doing this to get back at her for worrying you, aren’t you?” Peridot said.

 

Pearl smiled, totally innocently. “Maybe only a little.” she said. The two looked to each other and started laughing again. Peridot walked over to Lapis and gave the embarrassed girl a quick side hug. Pearl raised an eyebrow but shrugged. “It’s good to have you back, Peridot. It’s nice having a Crystal Gem here again.”

 

“Crystal Gem, huh?” Peridot said. “I don’t think either of us have heard that in ages. I guess you’re right, huh?”

“What’s a Crystal Gem?” Lapis asked. Pearl looked between her and Peridot before biting her lips again. Thoughts ran through her eyes as she scrunched her brow. Breathing deeply, she turned and motioned for them to follow her.

 

“I’ll explain that in a bit. Come on, we have a lot to talk about.” Pearl said. Peridot and Lapis followed, with Peridot frowning.

 

“Pearl, the thing I fought last night. I’m at least ninety percent sure she was involved. I’m talking about Yellow Diamond.”

 

“That’s what I thought. In that case, I definitely need to talk to the both of you.” Pearl said, moving to open a door in the hallway. Lapis remembered every lecture she got whenever she and Steven touched the door knob. After years of not being allowed in, she felt her inner ten year old getting excited.  Pearl hesitated before opening the door.

 

“It’s been years since I’ve been here. I’ve been avoiding this since… since Rose died.” Pearl said, looking at something only she could see.

 

Peridot stepped up and put a hand on Pearl’s. “Pearl, are you going to be alright?”

  
Nodding, Pearl placed her hand on the door knob. “Yes.” she said, twisting the knob. “I think it’s time I brought out Rose’s spellbook.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to lie, writing Pearl as a mom has always been hard for me. Still, I think I did my best. Next chapter there's going to be a lot more background info, so have fun with that. And I'm pretty sure nobody has to lose an arm this time.
> 
> Again, if you liked it or hated it or whatever feel free to let me know. Leave kudos and stuff if you want, I always appreciate it. I'll see you guys next chapter.
> 
> P.S. Holy crap we're almost at 10K views, we got like 628 kudos. And this story is officially novel length. Thanks everyone for your support. Hopefully I'll keep not disappointing you guys.


	18. In which lapis should've read more Harry Potter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis finds out magic is real. Peridot may or may not own spandex.

Secrets never lived up to the hype. From the years of hype and speculation, Lapis expected something like a secret underground tunnel. The tunnel would lead them to some massive cave, and there’d be some giant secret armory or something. A tiny dark room didn’t quite fit the bill. The room Pearl opened into was dark. Cobwebs decorated the door-frame as dust drifted into the hallway. The feeling of indifference in Lapis started to grow until Pearl cleared her throat.

“I haven’t set foot here in almost twenty years,” Pearl said. Stepping into the room, she flipped on the light switch. The lit room looked similar to the unlit version. Aside from a table, the center of the room was empty. On the left wall a bookshelf stretched to the ceiling. Books of every imaginable color lined its shelves, with the occasional large gemstone used as a bookend. The other walls had various objects hung on hooks. Under them large piles of what looked like junk laid on top of drawers.

Lapis walked in and started poking at the closest hanging object. She found something that looked like a stick. Upon closer examination, she could see that it was still a stick. Frowning, she leaned in to poke it. A jolt of something jumped from the tip, zapping Lapis’ finger. Yelping, she jumped back a bit, shaking her hand. Blowing at the tip of her fingers, she cursed under her breath. A gentle shoulder bump snapped her out of it.

Peridot looked at her with a wide smirk. “Magic wand. Took it off a necromancer back in the seventies. Probably still has a kick to it, so.” she said as she reached for Lapis’ hand. She gently blew on the fingertip. “Be careful next time.” she winked before walking ahead of her. Lapis picked her jaw off the floor and followed the other two.

Pearl stood in front of the bookshelf, hand over her mouth. She closed her eyes for a second and took a long breath. Turning to the wall next to it, she sifted through the piles, muttering to herself. After tossing aside what looked like a revolver, Pearl stood up with an excited yelp. Turning back to Lapis, she took the girl’s hand and put hers over it.

“Originally, I wanted you here so I could give you this.” she said, dropping a small object in Lapis’ hand. Pulling away, Lapis held the thing up with her fingers. It was a ring. The band was a simple dark bronze ring. On top of it a simple black gem laid, set into the metal. Lapis looked up to Pearl who smiled gently at her. “Put it on.” she said.

Lapis nodded, taking the ring and slipping it onto her ring finger. Feeling the fit was too big, she fiddled with it a bit before putting it on her right middle finger. As she pressed it into a snug fit, a warm feeling spread through her hand from the finger down. Her eyes widened as she stared at the gemstone. It began to gently glow, cycling and flashing through the entire rainbow. After a few moments, the ring started to dim. A dark blue gem shone on her finger, the band turned a bright silver. Lapis turned her hand a bit, admiring the ring before looking at Pearl.

“It’s a force ring.” Pearl said. “It responds to the user’s magical energy and can project a light barrier in case of emergencies. It can also direct energy in whatever direction you’re facing, making something like a hard push from your hand. Quite effective if aimed in the right direction.”

Lapis gawked at the ring for a bit before looking between Pearl and Peridot. “So, I can use magic now.” she said, a smile creeping onto her lips.  
  
Peridot snickered and elbowed her. “Hey, you just found out magic is real and that’s how you react? I thought there’d be a lot more screaming or crying.”

“In the past few days,” Lapis said, “I’ve been bit by a vampire; met two werebeasts; found out my bird mom isn’t human; and almost died at least twice. Magic is the most normal thing I’ve seen in awhile.”

Pearl put her hand on Lapis’ shoulder. “Well, I knew I’d have to share this with either you or Steven one day. Be careful though Lapis, it’s probably stronger than you think.”

Smiling wide, Lapis snorted. “How do I use it then? Is it one of those ‘visualize in your mind and the ring will make it real’ kind of things?”

Pearl opened her mouth to explain, then paused. Biting her lip she sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. “I mean.” she said, drawing the first word out. “That, uh. That’s basically it. I think.”

“You think?” Lapis asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Pearl can’t use magic.” Peridot said. “Her maker didn't put that feature in. She couldn't power a magic light bulb.”

Pearl pouted. “Thank you, Peridot. Nevertheless, you just have to visualize either a barrier or a weapon. The ring should respond in kind. And before you start using it recklessly like I know you're thinking, it uses the magical energy in your body. You're an ordinary person, so don't expect to be able to use it more than once a day without exhausting yourself. Did I forget anything Peridot?”

“If you make a fist with it, you can make it blue.” Peridot said with a thumbs up.

“Thank you, Peridot.” Pearl said, rolling her eyes. “An old friend of ours made it, so I know it'll keep you safe.”

Lapis ran her thumb over the ring. It felt cool to the touch, like sliding your hand over an icicle hanging from your doorframe. She wiggled her fingers a bit and clenched her hand, feeling a tingling sensation trickle down her arm. Smiling, she took a deep breath then nodded. “Thank you Pearl. When I use this to punch a zombie’s head off, I’ll be thinking of you.”

Pearl covered her mouth, fragments of laughter breaking through her fingers. “I’ll consider that a compliment.” she said. “Though, try not to get into too many zombie punching situations, I don’t think I could handle that much stress.”

Lapis nodded and gently elbowed Peridot. The vampire sighed while smirking. “Don’t worry Pearl, I’ll keep her out of trouble. So that ring was just sitting here forever, right? Is this where you kept all of our old things?”

“For the most part, no. I honestly don’t know what happened to the rest, but I believe the most important things are here. I guess that brings me to the other reason I brought you both here.” Pearl said, walking over to the bookshelf. She sifted over the various books, mumbling to herself. After a few seconds of mumbling, she snapped her fingers.

She reached in and pulled out a book. The book was a small leather tome. The main body was a worn shade of brown, encircled by a dark pink border. In the center a large clean cut gemstone shined, firmly embedded in the leather. It was a bright pink gem, Lapis recognized it as a rose quartz. As Pearl brought the book to the center of the room, she took a deep breath before placing it on the table. As Lapis walked over to it, she could feel something emanating off the book. The atmosphere around the book felt oppressive, as if warding off anybody who wanted to get near it. She kept her distance.

“This is Rose’s spellbook.” Pearl said. She opened the book and started to flip pages. Peri and Lapis moved closer and watched pages fly past them. Ancient scrawl flashed before their eyes before slamming to a halt. The book lay open on the table, pages covered in text that Lapis didn’t recognize. The left page was filled with scribbles, disorganized and incomprehensible. The right page was covered in diagrams. Sketches of different limbs littered the page, all focusing around the sketched humanoid in the center.  
  
“Back when Rose was alive she used to tell me stories about this book.” Pearl said, staring through the tome. “Stories about how this ancient book could be traced back thousands of years. How it used to belong to a powerful alchemist who challenged life itself. Heh. I can still remember her face when she realized I knew all of that already.

“The truth is, this book is as old as i am. Older, actually. Much much older. This book belonged to my creator, Pink Diamond.” Pearl paused for a second, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Breathing out slowly she shook her head and continued. “Her entire life’s work is here, in between the pages. Every formula, every experiment. They were all kept here between these covers. It practically has her soul in it. And that’s what makes this book particularly dangerous.”

Lapis drummed her fingers on the table. “So is this thing some sort of… magical cookbook or something? Because I’m not really following.”

“It’s more complicated than that, Lapis.” Pearl said. “The contents of this book are something a human shouldn’t even dream of doing. I’ve seen spells in here that can make wounds disappear as if they were nothing. It can bring people back from the dead from a single fragment of their soul. If you check in the earlier pages, you’ll even find a guide for how to make something like me. It’s an alchemist’s dream. It was her masterpiece.

“Pink Diamond wasn’t always her name. She and three other women all took the moniker of ‘Diamond’, each a paragon of their realms. Even though she was the human out of the group, Pink Diamond stood side by side with Yellow Diamond, possibly one of the most feared creatures in the night on the planet. So her death sent the supernatural world into a panic.”

Pearl chewed her lip a bit as she thumbed one of the pages. “The power void she left behind after her death was frightening. People were clamoring to take her place, become the most feared sorcerer or alchemist in the land. Most were after this book. After her death, I lost track of the book. I didn’t think I would see it again until I met Rose, several hundred years after Pink’s death.”

“Wait, wait,” Lapis said, raising a hand. “Are you telling me that Rose had this thing? This spellbook that actual monsters were killing themselves over? How did she get her hands on that thing?”

Shaking her head, Pearl sighed. “I wish I could tell you. She told me most of everything, but this was the one thing she refused to touch. It only got worse when the first monster tried to take the book. It started as one, then became two and eventually became enough to force us into hiding. Rose and I were strong, but we weren’t enough to take on the whole world. Especially since the Diamonds wanted the book for themselves. Yellow Diamond especially.”

“She was obsessed with it,” Peridot said, arms crossed. “In the time I spent with her, we were constantly moving around the country. She kept looking for the damn book everywhere we went, even went missing for weeks at a time trying to track it down. Honestly, it’s a miracle that Rose managed to keep it hidden for so long.”

Pearl nodded. “It’s true. Given the body count that follows her, it drove Rose to do something. She even formed a group specifically to protect people from monsters like Yellow Diamond.”

Smirking, Peridot leaned over to Lapis. “Do yourself a favor Lapis and don’t ask her about the ‘Crystal Gems’. It’ll take less time to deal with Yellow Diamond, than it would to listen to all of that.” Peridot laughed as she felt Pearl glare a hole in her head.

“The Crystal Gems were a group founded by Rose that protected civilians from supernatural threats. You should know how much good we did for the world. You used to be one too, remember?”

Lapis looked over to Peridot who was blushing slightly. “Woah,” Lapis said, “So you and Pearl used to be… like Power Rangers? Did it come with spandex?”

“Har Har.” Peridot said. She scowled, trying to hide her growing blush. “I know I rag on it sometimes, but. But it does mean a lot to me. Rose took in a lot of misfits and rejects. It made us feel like we belonged somewhere. After we disbanded I… I felt lost.”

Pearl and Lapis both straightened up, looking at Peridot. Lapis reached out, touching Peridot by the elbow. “You’ve been feeling lost since then?”

Peridot looked back to Lapis, then to the hand on her elbow. Smiling, she laid her hand over Lapis’. “I used to feel lost. Not as much anymore.” The two girls stared at each other, goofy smiles on their faces before Pearl coughed.

“I have a feeling that you two have something to tell me?” Pearl said with a raised eyebrow. Lapis and Peridot looked to her, then back to each other and tried to hide their blushes. Pearl sighed with a smile and shrugged. “I can’t judge. I’ll talk to you about that later, Peridot. Now, back to the subject at hand. I brought you here to look at this. Does it seem familiar at all?”

Peridot nodded and tapped at the book. “This thing. I can’t read the text but, it looks kinda like the thing we fought. I thought you said this book was here for the last twenty years?”

Holding a hand over her mouth, Pearl hummed. She furrowed her brow, a sentence forming at the tip of her tongue. “That is what I was worried about.” Pearl said. “After I heard the news, I went to check the scene. All the cameras were smashed, so I couldn’t get a direct video. But several people mentioned seeing a large creature held together with stitches last night. This looks scarily similar to some of the drawings in this book.”

“But like I just said, the book’s been here for the last twenty years, right? So how did I end up having to fight one of those last night?” Peridot asked. Pearl just shook her head.

“I honestly have no idea Peridot. That’s why I wanted to make sure that this is the thing you saw last night. It doesn’t make sense, but I can’t imagine who else could’ve created that thing. Promise me you’ll be careful. If she’s sending things like that here, she’s probably still looking for the book.”

Peridot and Lapis looked to each other and nodded. “Don’t worry Pearl, we’ll be careful.” Peridot said with a smile. She jumped a bit as something vibrated in her pocket. Excusing herself, she walked out of the room.

Pearl sighed and looked to Lapis. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this, Lapis. I didn’t think I’d ever get you involved with this.”

Lapis shrugged, leaning on the table. “You know me Pearl, I’ve been looking for this stuff my whole life. At least this way, you don’t have to worry about me finding out the hard way.”

“Yes, well. I still want you to be safe. So Lapis, please promise me. Promise me that next time something like this happens, you’ll call me?” She looked at Lapis with tired eyes. Lapis could see the worry tightening her smile.

Sighing, Lapis held out a pinky. “I’ve got you on speed dial. I won’t worry you again, I promise.” she said with a grin. She watched as Pearl let out a breath, all the stress and tension melting off her shoulders. She reached out with her own pinky and they locked in the pinky swear. Lapis had never broken a pinky swear in her life, so the two smiled without much worry.

“Amethyst, what do you mean she’s missing?” Peridot half-shouted. Looking over, Lapis could see Peridot leaning against the door frame. Her fangs were out and she burned a crimson glare into the wall. “Ames, slow down. When was the last time you saw Jasper? Are you sure she- Yes, I know she’s hurt from last night so that’s wh- I know. I know, look take a deep breath. Okay? One more. Okay there, I’ll be over in a little bit, alright? Try figuring out potential places she could have gone before I get there. Okay, thanks.”

Lapis and Pearl walked up to Peridot who was still glaring into her phone. “Peridot, what happened to Jasper?” Lapis asked. The vampire groaned in frustration.

“She disappeared. Amethyst told me, she put Jasper in her bedroom last night. She was there this morning, but she just went to check an hour ago and she’s gone. There’s no trace of her in the house. Amethyst’s worried sick.” Peridot said with a frown.

Pearl looked between them. “Is she one of the people involved with the monster last night?” Peridot nodded and Pearl bit her lip. “Okay, that doesn’t sound good. Do you need any help or are you going to-”

“We’re going to go together.” Lapis said, walking up and bumping shoulders with Peridot. “She’d be dead without me, and if Jasper’s out there doing who knows what. Well, somebody has to find her, right? Amethyst is probably too injured to do it alone, sooo...”

Pearl frowned and looked between them. She looked hard at them both before sighing. “Okay. Listen, the two of you are the only ones beside me that know the book’s location. If anybody asks, you don’t know it exists. Alright?”

Lapis looked to Peridot and the two nodded. “We have no idea what you’re talking about.” she said with a shrug. Pearl smiled.

“Okay. I don’t want to imagine anything happening to either of you.” Pearl said. “So please, come home safely.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys would not believe the week I've had. Also I hate exposition chapters. Still, its a necessary evil I guess. All you jasper fans, just you wait for next week. Meanwhile I'm going to get some actual sleep now.
> 
> Leave a comment with what you like it didn't like if you want. Kudos make me smile. Also we just passed 10k views! Thank you to everyone for enjoying this admittedly self indulgent fanfic. I love all of you.
> 
> I'll see you next chapter.


	19. In which Lapis goes werewolf spotting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst is tired, Lapis and Peri try to help. What could possibly go wrong?

Amethyst had looked better. Sitting on the doorstep, she wore last night’s exhaustion like a sweater. She winced as she stood to greet Peridot and Lapis. She held one hand to her side as she waved at them with the other. The faint shadow of a cut marked her cheek. Lapis wasn’t sure if she wanted to hug her or take her to the hospital. Still, the werepuma waved them over as she leaned on the wall behind her.

 

“Heey, took you long enough.” Amethyst said with a smile. “I was worried I’d have to find other friends to look for you too. You can’t make me waste good friend-power like that in this economy Peri.” As she laughed at her own joke, Lapis could see the smile falter as worry slipped through. She didn’t comment.

 

Peridot rolled her eyes as she stepped onto doorstep. “If I ever disappear, you’ll be the first person I don’t tell.” she said. Her expression fell a bit as she looked Amethyst over. “How are you holding up?”

 

“Physically, or emotionally? Because right now  I’ve got this weird feeling around… here,” she waved her hand over her torso, “And I think I’m halfway between throwing up and passing out. I call it, thrassing oup.” 

 

“That sounds about right, how about physically?” Peridot said, hands in her pockets.

 

“Eh, werebeast healing factor is a lot slower than your vampire stuff. Perks though, it sets bones and stuff for me. I just have to deal with the pain longer.” Amethyst said, shrugging. She winced half-way through the gesture and visibly regretted it.

 

Lapis cleared her throat and leaned on Peridot a bit. “How are you doing? From what Peridot was saying, you sounded pretty bad.” 

 

Amethyst’s smile faded as she turned away. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Yeah, I. Thanks for coming you guys. How much did I actually tell you, I can’t even remember what I said. Sorry, I’m a bit of a mess.”

 

Peridot gave her the most reassuring pat on the shoulder she could muster. “It’s alright, we’re here. And we’ll find her, okay? Okay?” she said, looking Amethyst in the eyes. She got a weak smile and nod in return. “Alright. Do you have any idea where she could’ve gone? Maybe she brought her cellphone?”

 

Amethyst hummed, putting a hand over her mouth. “Yeah, I tried calling her. She left her phone in her room. All I know is she vanished this afternoon after lunch. She woke up this morning, like twice as sore as I am. I filled her in on the details from last night. She just sat there and listened, like Jasper never does that! Then she was just quiet for the rest of the day. I just remembered she mumbled about having to meet someone last time I saw her. She’s been disappearing almost every day to go… somewhere. I’m guessing she probably went wherever that is. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.”

 

Peridot shook her head. “Hey, it’s alright. She didn’t mention a job or anything?” Amethyst frowned. “Okay. Alright, I know you probably don’t want to move too much, so Lapis and I are going to fan out and look through Beach City. We’ll call if we find anything, alright?”

 

“No, I’m going to come too. You two can’t flirt with each other from across town, right?” She smirked, watching the pair blush and look away. “Okay, I’ll take it easy and check out downtown. Think you guys can take the north area near the forest?”

 

Lapis and Peridot looked to each other and nodded. Lapis turned back to Amethyst and smiled. “We’ll find her Amethyst, alright? Don’t worry, it probably won’t be that hard finding an injured werewolf in Beach City.”

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“How hard is it to find a freaking werewolf?!” Lapis screamed into the sky. Normally she would’ve tried to keep her voice down. That instinct faded about an hour ago, which was about an hour into the search. Right now her only instinct was to punch the closest object she could find. Preferably one that wasn’t too hard, or breathing, or fragile. She opted to complain instead.

 

Thankfully, there weren’t many people in a forest who would be bothered by the shouting. The only victim was the vampire on the path who found herself smiling while listening to Lapis’ cute griping. Peridot snorted before bumping her shoulder into Lapis. “You ever watch one of those paranormal investigation shows? If we’re going by those standards, we’ll be lucky to find her in the next ten years.”

 

Lapis groaned, gently shoving Peri back. “Yeah, yeah. And I’ll have you know that I’m a fan of those shows. I have every season of ghost adventures on dvr. You should see my supernatural evidence notebook.” 

 

“Do you tell all that to all the girls you’re interested in, or am I just a special case?” Peridot laughed as Lapis bumped her again. “Hey, I didn’t say it was bad. I might even be a little turned o- Wait, what’s that?” she said as she held an arm out in front of Lapis. The sounds of shouting could be faintly heard ahead of them. The pair looked at each other and ran towards the noise.

 

A little ways down the path, they found the source of the noise. The closer they approached, the louder the shouting became. The shouting voice was gravelly and strained, like somebody had just pulled a muscle lifting weights. Lapis and Peridot felt familiar with that voice. They got closer, and they could hear another voice mixing in with the shouts. A more shrill, but delicate voice. It spoke with a calmness that sent shivers up your spine. As the shouting became legible Peridot grabbed Lapis, dragging her behind a tree. Lapis quickly pulled her phone out and sent a quick text. Peridot shushed her, and she put it back into her pocket. They peeked out from the trunk.

 

Jasper stood in the middle of the path. She looked ragged, her tank top ruffled and her jeans torn. She towered over the other person, shouting at the top of her lungs. In her eyes, Lapis could see fire ready to burst at whatever was stupid enough to get in her way. Standing in her way was a girl a good foot smaller than her. Her bright yellow eyes looked into Jasper’s with chilling boredom. Her yawned, bringing a dark brown hand over her mouth before brushing a loose strand of blonde hair from her face. She stood stiffly, back straight and chest out like some sort of butler.

 

“If you continue to shout at me,” the girl said, holding both hands behind her back, “This conversation will be over. Now, would you try it again without sounding like a barbarian?”

 

Jasper growled, clenching her fists to her side. “Don’t fuck with me Pearl. I told you I’m not in the mood after looking for you for hours.” Lapis gasped at the name, looking down to Peridot. The vampire looked paler than Lapis thought possible. Lapis looked back at the girl who looked vaguely like her Pearl, but with a lot more yellow. She kept her eyes on this Yellow Pearl.

 

“Yes, well you are the one who decided to try calling me before our scheduled meeting times.” Her eyes flickered dangerously as she stared at Jasper.  “Tell me, what in the world is so important that I had to be here immediately? Did the last payment not go through?”

 

“The important thing? The important thing is that there’s a dead girl in my town, and a monster that almost killed my sister.” Jasper snarled, breathing growing heavier. “I have a funny feeling that you knew about this.”

 

A predatory smile flashed across her face. “Didn’t we talk about that? I already told you, watch out for your vampire problem. Didn’t we agree you’d confront the vampire you mentioned?”

 

“I did.” Jasper said. “And not only did she not do it like you said, but she took down the thing that did. And she saved my sister’s life. So I’m asking, why did you tell me that she was a murderer?”

 

Yellow Pearl blinked at Jasper. She paused for a moment, took a deep breath and smiled. Smiling wider, she started to chuckle. “Let me just make sure of something. We’re talking about the vampire you mentioned in your report, yes? Blonde, temper as short as she is?” She watched Jasper nod. “Then, trust me. Her hands are far from clean.” Lapis felt Peridot tense up next to her. She laced her fingers with Peridot’s and the vampire relaxed.

 

“You didn’t answer the question.” Jasper stood taller, her nails starting to sharpen. “The monster killed that girl the night after I told you about Peridot. Then you immediately jump on blaming her, knowing I would try and kill her. She kills the monster and it starts talking like it knows her. Doesn’t that sound the least bit suspicious?”

 

Yellow Pearl’s smile faded as a frown took its place. “You’re pointing a lot of fingers Jasper. Last time I checked, we hired you to keep watch over the city and to eliminate any threats or people that discovered us. Leaps of logic and accusations was not part of your responsibilities.”

 

“Stop avoiding my questions. You haven’t given me a straight answer since then. And you know what else I find funny? You don’t react to anything I tell you, but the minute i said Peridot’s name you panicked. You’re not telling me something, so you better spit it out.” Jasper said, fangs growing. Her hands were already shifted into long wolf claws, nails shining in the moonlight.

 

Yellow Pearl blinked, before taking a deep breath. “You’ve been a loyal guard dog, so I suppose I’m feeling generous. So I’ll give you one more chance. Stop shouting and apologize.” She snapped her fingers behind her back. Lapis and Peridot saw a faint glow coming from her hands.

 

Jasper snarled. “That’s it, if you’re not going to tell me. I’m going to beat it out of you!” she roared, lunging at Yellow Pearl with both claws extended. Peridot moved to shout at her to stop, but didn’t have time. Jasper jumped forward, claws aimed at her neck. Yellow Pearl smiled. She jumped back, pointing her hand at the ground. A flash of dark energy shot from her finger, hitting the ground and spreading into a dark swirl. Jasper looked down and didn’t have time to react as her foot touched the swirling energy. In a flash, she felt herself get pulled feet first into this portal. She roared louder, claws grasping at the dirt. She only found herself making grooves in the ground as she was up to her torso in the  energy.

 

Yellow Pearl stood over her, hands back behind her back. She smiled wider as she looked down to Jasper. “This is why good dogs don’t talk back. Maybe Yellow Diamond will find a use for you.” she said, raising her foot. Peridot shouted as the foot came down, but Jasper couldn’t hear her. With a swift stomp, the rest of Jasper disappeared, swallowed by the dark energy that began to collapse in on itself. Within a second, the pool was gone leaving Jasper’s claw marks as the only evidence of their existence.

 

Chuckling at her handiwork, Yellow Pearl slowly turned. She smiled wider, showing sharp teeth as she locked eyes with Peridot. “So… the mutt was right. It’s been too long, Peridot.” she said with a flourish. “Tell me, what have you been up to since our last meeting. You have more limbs than our Diamond remembers.”

 

Peridot glared back at her, dark read pulsing through her irises. “Your Diamond. She’s as dead to me as I am to her. What did you do to Jasper?” she said through grinding teeth. 

 

Yellow Pearl sighed, looking at her fingernails. “The mutt? Ah well, don’t worry she’s still alive. For now at least, that was just a simple gateway spell. My other tricks are much more lethal, I assure you.” she snapped her fingers as she said this and darkness began to swirl around her fingers.  “So, tell me how much did you hear? You were behind that tree the whole time, right?”

 

“I think I heard enough,” Peridot said. “You really sent that monster to kill me?”

 

“That thing? Oh, silly. Yellow Diamond sent it to you as a gift. She really wanted to see you again. Or at least, parts of you.” she said with a smile.

 

“You’re a psychopath.” Peridot said, hands clenched. Her eyes flicked to Lapis for a second. The Blue haired girl moved farther behind the tree. “Well it worked. You found me again. Do you have anything else to say before we get to your beating?”

 

Yellow Pearl hummed, wiggling her fingers. The darkness went between each digit with practiced dexterity. She sighed and clenched her fist. “Well, just one thing. Don’t bring anything to a fight that you’re not willing to lose.” she said. Then in a flash, she thrusted her fist towards the tree Lapis was behind. A spike of darkness shot out of her fist, rocketing towards its target. Peridot moved without thinking, throwing herself between the tree and the spike. It went through her shoulder, sticking her to the tree. The spike stopped, barely piercing the bark by Lapis’s chest. 

 

Peridot screamed in pain, grabbing at the spike. It burned worse than the sun. She felt her shoulder cracking and straining as the energy pulsed through it. Waves of pain radiated from the wound, shaking her down to her bones. With a groan of effort she grabbed at the spike with her free hand, only to scream again. The energy burned her hand, like she threw it into a stove fire. She breathed deeply, trying to focus at the woman slowly walking towards her. Her breath staggered as she tried to keep focus as Yellow Pearl walked up to her. A long slender finger lifted her chin so they looked at each other eye to eye.

 

“You like it? It fries all the cells it touches. It doesn’t matter how quickly you can heal, if your body can’t keep up with the damage. Yellow Diamond invented it herself, just for an occasion like this.” she said with a laugh. “Actually, how does it feel? Because I’m going to fill you with so many of these even you’ll stay dead this ti-” 

 

A shout cut her off as Lapis jumped out from behind the tree. Holding the ring out, she aimed at Yellow Pearl’s head. She focused on her ring, putting every ounce of her being into it. The ring flashed, blue gem glowing bright with magical energy. Then in an instant, it unleashed it all sending a dark blue fist flying right into her face. She hardly had time to react as it connected, launching her across the path into a roadside tree. She stood there, pressed against the tree for a minute. She didn’t move. 

 

Lapis fell to the ground after the spell fired. She tried to move her arm, but everything felt sore. It was like that time she ran the marathon because Steven begged her to. Her body ached and she had a hard time focusing. Biting her lip, she punched the ground and forced herself up to Peridot. Haggard but smiling, she winked at the vampire. “See?” she said between pants. “I can be useful too. Okay, now how do I-”

 

A foot met her face. The pain didn’t even register as she was knocked into a tree by a quick kick. She saw spots for a second as she saw Yellow Pearl standing in front of her. Her yellow updo was a mess, and her eyes were livid. She stepped towards Lapis, dark energy building in one of her hands. She grabbed Lapis with her normal hand, pinning her to the tree by the throat. She held the other over Lapis’ head.

 

“You must be the one that Yellow Diamond was talking about. The girl that Peridot sold her soul for. Pity, she was right. You really are cuter than the last one.” She said with a shark’s grin. Peridot was shouting something from the other tree. Lapis couldn’t hear her. Everything else faded except for the hand that approached her. She shook from fear and closed her eyes, waiting for the hammer to drop.

 

Seconds past and nothing. Lapis bit her lip as the tension built. Suddenly the pressure on her throat disappeared. She fell down onto her butt with a thud. She opened her eyes and looked up in confusion. Yellow Pearl stood above her, pressing against the tree. She screamed as she struggled to pull at her hand, the once glowing one pinned to the tree. A spear protruded from the back of her hand. It had a long white shaft ending in a curved cyan blade. Yellow Pearl screamed in pain as she pulled at the shaft.

 

Lapis heard footsteps coming from down the road. As she looked up a smile covered her face as relief flooded her system. “I knew she’d get my text.” she mumbled to herself, leaning against the tree. Yellow Pearl looked down at her in confusion before noticing the footsteps. She turned around, murder in her eyes to the figure that was making the noise. Her expression faded as she saw the person walking up the path. 

 

Her light blue blouse was a mess. Her skirt flapped as the wind picked up around her. Her eyes were locked onto Yellow Pearl with more murderous intent than Lapis had ever seen. Pearl walked up the path, eyes red and narrowed at her yellow counterpart. She wasn’t smiling.

 

“Get away from my child.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who wants to see a mom fight? I wanna see a mom fight. Sorry for the late chapter, but I put some extra effort into it. Also yellow pearl is so fun to write. I am looking forward to the next chapter, so I hope all of you are excited too.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always welcome. I'm gonna be over here, finally getting some rest. I'll see you all next chapter.


	20. In which lapis is going to feel this in the morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl is kinda cool. Yellow pearl is kind of a jerk. Lapis is still tired

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting to write this since I started.

Everyone held their breath. The forest itself didn’t dare to make a noise as Pearl made her approach. She stopped, a few feet away from Lapis and Yellow Pearl. Up close, Lapis could tell that she had ran here as fast as she could. Her clothes were a mess, her hair wasn’t combed as it usually was. She had a small backpack instead of her usual purse. Still, she carried herself with more poise and presence than Lapis had ever seen.

Yellow Pearl snapped out of her trance. Looking back to the spear, she grit her teeth and grabbed the shaft. With a shout of effort, she pulled the weapon out. Blood dripped down the blade as she pointed the spear at Lapis. She panted, hands shaking. Looking between Lapis and Pearl, she shook her head and focused at the one that threw a spear at her.

“Who. The fuck. Are you?” Yellow said, breathing heavily. Blood dripped from her hand down the spear. It slid off the blade, not leaving any trace on the metal.  
  
Pearl looked back at her, eyes cold. For a second, it felt like she could shoot literal daggers out of her pupils. It made Yellow stagger back. Pearl looked away from her and walked towards Lapis. She stopped when her throat poked the tip of her spear. She looked up at Yellow Pearl, chest heaving with effort and fear in her eyes.  
  
“Who do you think you are?!” Yellow Pearl barked. “How dare you injure me like that!”

Pearl looked at her dead in the eyes. “Drop the spear, or you’re going to regret it.”

Yellow Pearl ground her teeth as her grip on the shaft tightened. “Do you have any idea who you are messing with? Don’t act cocky because you got me by surprise, I could kill you where you st-” She got halfway through her taunt. One second she was watching Pearl, the next she felt something strike her in the stomach. She started to throw up before she felt the spear ripped from her hands. Thunder rang through her skull as two hard blows smacked the sides of her face. A third hit to the chest knocked her off her feet, falling onto the ground a few feet away. As she looked up she saw Pearl, spear at the ready, eyes still locked on her.

Yellow coughed, pressing a hand against the ground. She dry heaved for a second, gathering her breath. Her blonde hair was mostly a mess now, strands falling over both her seconds. Punching the ground she looked up to Pearl, a desperate glare in her eyes. “Who… who in the hell are you?!”

Pearl looked down to her. “An artifact from a dead diamond.” she said, turning back to the other girls. Lapis looked up to her with a smile and a sigh of relief.

“I listened this time.” Lapis said, still panting. She forced herself to sit up. “Thanks for coming this time Pearl.”

“Pearl?” Yellow said, eyes going wide. She blinked a second before looking down at the ground. Her chest heaved for a moment before her breathing steadied. She smiled, laughter bubbling up from her chest. As she burst out laughing, her expression changed. She stood up, sporting a wide smile as she laughed. As she wiped a tear from her eye, she flashed a predatory smile. “I was worried for a second that you were some kind of… magical human or something threatening. But it’s good to hear that you’re just another Pearl.”

Pearl glared at her. “Another Pearl? I don’t follow.” she said, drawing the words out. She shifted, moving her feet into a subtle stance, spear at the ready.

“Come now, don’t play dumb.” Yellow said. She reached up and readjusted her hair, fixing her normal style. “Your speed and power, the fact that she called you Pearl. You’re obviously one of Pink Diamond’s creations, am I correct?” Her smile grew as Pearl tensed. “Bullseye.”

“Don’t call me that.” Pearl said. Her grip on the spear tightened.

“What, don’t tell me are you sensitive to that? Don’t worry I completely understand where you are coming from.” Yellow Pearl said. She looked at her nails, darkness coursing around her fingertips. “I mean, not personally. But I can understand why you’d be ashamed to be part of a group of rejected antiques. The future says hello, by the way.”

During the staredown Lapis had crawled over to Peridot. The vampire’s breathing was labored, her sweater stained with blood that oozed from the gaping hole. She watched the wound slowly start to close itself as Peridot groaned in pain. Lapis frowned, sitting next to the vampire and holding her hand over Peridot’s. She bit her lip as she watched the two Pearls stare each other down.

“You seem to be familiar with this stuff. Where did you learn this?” Pearl asked.

Yellow Pearl sighed, tapping her chin with her fingers. “From my diamond of course. We spent a long time travelling the planet. We found a lot of Pink Diamond’s old laboratories and hideouts. Some of them still had Pearls in them. But don’t worry,” she said lips parting to reveal sharp teeth. “We made sure to dispose of them like the garbage they were.”

She laughed when she saw Pearl’s eyes narrow at her. “Did that hit a nerve? Don’t take it personally. They turned out useful in the end. Throughout history progress has been made off the corpses of past failures. Simply put, all of those cheap mass produced Pearls served a purpose.” She spun and did a curtsey. “And you’re looking at her.”

Pearl spat on the ground. “You… you’re a Pearl too then? So what makes you more special than any of the others Pink Diamond made?”

“For starters, I wasn’t made by Pink Diamond.” she said with a giggle. “I was created by my diamond, Yellow Diamond.” She held her hands behind her back, standing tall and straight. “After destroying and experimenting on dozens maybe hundreds of Pearls, my diamond managed to figure out how to replicate the process herself. What you are looking at is the result of my diamond’s genius. The byproduct of trial after trial, resulting in me: a Pearl designed to outshine any and all the cheap mass produced models. Strong enough to rival the original template that was Pink Diamond’s personal Pearl. I know, I’ve killed my fair share of pearls. That is what makes me more special than any of those failures she or I killed. Is it sinking in yet?”

Pearl looked at her with the most deadpan expression. Taking a deep breath, she spun her spear before grasping with both hands. “Is this the speech you gave to all the pearls you killed? Is it finished yet?”

Yellow Pearl looked over with a frown. “You seem to be slower than the usual Pearl. Here, let me give you a more visual demonstration.” She snapped her fingers and raised her hand. Dark energy burst forth and slammed into the ground. It snaked across the dirt straight towards Pearl. With a snap dark lances shot from the ground straight at Pearl. She didn’t even move, sighing as the lances whiffed past her ears. A blur crossed her vision as Yellow Pearl dashed towards her.

“I’m more powerful than you.” She continued to dash around Pearl. From an outside perspective, bits of the ground and tree bark began to explode as Yellow Pearl jumped from place to place. “I’m faster, I have magic coursing through every cell in my body.” she stopped behind Pearl, body coiled and hands ablaze. “What could you possibly have that could beat me?!” she shouted dashing at Pearl.

“Three thousand years of experience.”

Pearl turned with shocking speed. She grabbed Yellow by the wrist and spun on her heels. With a grunt of effort, she slammed Yellow Pearl into the ground. The darker girl cried out in pain as she hit the dirt. She kicked her legs up, hopping into a standing position. With a shout she ran at Pearl and started swinging her claws. Pearl’s expression didn’t change. She moved like a dance. With each stroke of Yellow’s claws, Pearl dodged like it was nothing. It was like everything was in slow motion to her.

In Yellow’s eyes everything turned red. With each missed or blocked attack her frustration grew. She screamed thrusting her hands at Pearl with everything she had. A swift kick to the stomach stopped her in her tracks. She gagged a bit, staggering back. Looking up she saw Pearl stand there twirling her spear. Yellow coughed and hissed at Pearl. “What are you?! What kind of Pearl are you?!”

Pearl hummed to herself, flipping her spear and pointing the blade at Yellow. “Apparently the kind that’s way out of your league. I guess that’s to be expected, I mean. You can’t beat the original.” she said with a smirk. She spread her feet and bent her knees. Then she lunged at Yellow.

Yellow hardly had time to react as Pearl started her assault. It felt like she was standing in a rainstorm. The kind of rainstorm where each raindrop hit her like a truck. The metaphor was lost to her as she was repeatedly pummeled by the blunt end of Pearl’s spear. With a cry of pain she was knocked onto her back and skidded several feet. She coughed, spitting up blood. Growling, she jumped to her feet and clapped her hands together.

“Don’t you dare look down on me!” she shouted. With a scream she punched her hands forward, launching black bolts into the air. Each bolt shot into the sky and folded in on itself into a little swirl. From each swirl a dark laser beam shot, all focused at Pearl. Pearl didn’t even flinch as she started to dance between the beams. Each shot hit the ground around her, knocking debris and dust into the air. None of that seemed to phase her.

Yellow on the other hand was only getting increasingly angry. With another scream of frustration she launched more beams into the air, clogging the sky with laser fire. As the laser fell from the sky she watched Pearl continue to dance through the lasers. She watched her move gracefully, turning back and forth between the shots until she turned her back to her. In that second, she yelled and shot a laser at Pearl’s back. Pearl had time to look behind her. She dropped her spear and reached for her backpack as the laser exploded.

The ground where Pearl was became a dust cloud. The laser connected, causing a small explosion as the sky lasers kicked up even more dust. Like twisted fireworks dust and rock flew in the air as Lapis watched in horror. Yellow Pearl watched on with a smile and started to laugh. She kept watching the smoke cloud, laughter increasing as the dust started to settle. Then her laughter started to slow. As the cloud thinned, her laughter slowed. When the dust settled completely, her laughter was gone, replaced with an incredulous gape. She shook her head. “Why. Why can’t I kill you?”

Pearl hadn’t moved a centimeter. She stood in her position, feet planted and back straight. Around her an invisible field shimmered as dust passed through it. In her hands, she held what was left of her backpack. Through the pieces of cloth, a glimmer shone. A bright pink gem poked out of the cloth. As she moved to shake her hand, the cloth fell off revealing Rose’s spellbook. The gem still glowed with a quiet power as the barrier continued to shimmer. Pearl looked down and sighed. “Honestly, I didn’t know if that would work.” she said, moving to put the book on the ground. “But even a wild guess will do, in a pinch.”

Yellow Pearl only babbled, eyes wide with fear and anger as she looked between Pearl and the spell book. She didn’t move as Pearl picked up her spear. She didn’t react as Pearl started to run towards her. She barely even blinked as Pearl jumped up, spear tip raised to the sky. She hardly made a noise as Pearl brought the blade down, slicing her across her torso. She coughed, wobbled a bit, and fell down onto her stomach.

Pearl looked down to the girl on the ground, fists balled on the dirt. Yellow Pearl pushed herself up on her elbows, grinding her teeth. She bit her lip, then punched the ground. Something rang through her and she punched the ground again. Another punch, then another hit the ground as each continued to rise up in intensity. She stopped hitting the ground and ran both hands through her hair. Then she screamed.

“Stupid! Useless piece of garbage!” she shouted, pulling at her locks. Pearl’s eyes widened as she stepped back into a stance. Yellow’s screaming continued to intensify. “Waste of time and space! Why can’t you do anything right? Useless!” she kept screaming, pulling at her hair. She struggled to move, still lying on her stomach. Chest heaving, she looked back to Pearl.

Pearl stood over her, spear pointed at Yellow’s head. Pearl sighed and smirked. “You already lost a lot of blood. Throwing a tantrum will only make it worse.”

“Shut your face!” Yellow Pearl shouted, thrusting her hand forward. A black shard shot from her palm. Without even flinching, Pearl stepped to the side. She smirked at her opponent.

“Who are you trying to hit with that?” Pearl said.

A sharp scream cut through the night. Pearl’s eyes went wide as Yellow Pearl smiled. “Not you.” She snickered as Pearl’s jaw dropped. She laughed, watching Pearl turn around. As the spear dropped to the floor, she pressed her hand against the ground. A dark portal appeared under her as her smile turned into a wicked grin. “Next time, that’s going to be you.” she said as she fell through the portal. Pearl hardly heard it, she was too busy sprinting to her girls.

Peridot sat on the ground, slumped against a tree. Her mouth and eyes were wide with shock. Her throat vibrated as sound failed to escape it. She shook, grasping at the ground. A trickle of blood ran down her chin. She bit her lip, crimson covering her fang. She sobbed, shaking her head as a tear started to come from her eye.

“This isn’t real, this isn’t real.” she said. Her hands shook as she reached up. “This isn’t real, this isn’t real.” She touched the face that was a few inches away from her. Shaking her head, she cupped the chin. “This isn’t real. Lapis tell me this isn’t real.” she begged. Lapis wore a small smile on her face. A trickle of blood ran down her chin. It moved past her neck, down her collar. It stopped around her chest, where it mixed with the rest of the blood pooling around her heart area. It dripped down the glowing purple spike that jutted from her ribs, before the spike vanished. Peridot held her face as the spike disappeared and her arms started to slacken. She still had her small smile as the light faded from her eyes.

Peridot stared, hands shaking. She held Lapis as she could feel her warmth vanishing. She didn’t hear Pearl run up to them shouting something. She didn’t notice Yellow Pearl’s escape. She just held onto Lapis, pulling her closer as she shook. She just kept repeating herself, over and over.

“This isn’t real. This isn’t real.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love u guys. Don't worry everything will turn out fine. Feel free to leave me a comment on how much of a jerk I am. Also kudos are nice of you want to give me some  
> Anyway I'll see you next chapter


	21. In which Lapis is really lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's back.

The silence pounded her ears. It grew from dead quiet to a low ringing. The static grew, louder and louder until it filled her head. Noise engulfed all her senses, drowning out anything that didn’t resemble white noise. She floated in white noise, voice silent as she screamed against the thunderous roars in her skull. Then as quick as it started, it stopped. She found herself floating in darkness, surrounded by silence.

 

_ Do you want to die? If no, then get up. _

 

She grumbled for a second, her head swirling in circles. She forgot whether or not she had eyes, or how you were supposed to open them. After a few seconds the fog in her head lifted and she started to remember how to be a person. She opened her eyes, and immediately closed them again. Bright white surrounded her, burning her retinas. She groaned and threw her hands over her face.

 

_ Hurry up, I can’t afford you dying on me. Open your eyes, or tell me your name or something. _

 

She shook her head. Name. Nothing sprang to her mind immediately. She shook her head and focused harder. A thick fog of static covered her thoughts, but the harder she dug the quieter the noise became. Sifting through the fog, she stumbled on something that looked like a name.

 

“Lapis.” she said, feeling a certain ring to it.

 

_ Lapis. Alright, your name is Lapis. Good, now open your eyes. We have a lot to cover. _

 

Lapis didn’t feel like opening anything right now. A crushing feeling of exhaustion filled her being, and she felt obliged to listen to it. Still, she figured she would keep getting chewed out if she didn’t do anything and that felt like a bad time. She grit her teeth and forced herself to stop resting. After a struggle, she opened her eyes.

 

The room was just as bright as before. Shielding her eyes, she could make out absolutely nothing. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, she lowered her hand and let her eyes adjust. The room was completely empty. It felt as if she were standing in an endless ocean of whiteness. She took a few steps forward towards the wall. Looking down she had to remember how to walk, but she managed to make it. Her chest hurt.

 

_ Good, you’re moving again. We can start the process then. Judging by the blankness of this room, I don’t think you remember much right now do you? _

 

Lapis blinked and looked around. She was still alone in the room. Frowning to herself, she shook her head. Her head at the moment was empty, the static filtering away. Annoyance began to creep in as she started to tap her foot against the ground. The soreness in her chest got worse. In a fit of frustration, Lapis reached out and punched the wall in front of her. She jumped back as it began to fall away.

 

The wall fell apart at her touch, the frame crumbling at her fingertips. It disintegrated into stardust, lighting up the room in front of her. Shrugging to herself, Lapis walked through the gaping hole into the next room. She felt the presence of something follow her, but didn’t bother to look behind her. She was already investigating.

 

The room itself looked the same as the last one. Bright flourescent white tiles seemed to glow as Lapis stepped on them. She didn’t notice them. She didn’t look anywhere else, except at the figures frozen in the middle of the room. She walked forward, drawn to what appeared to be two children playing. The boy was short and chubby with a puffy mane of black hair. He wore a bright smile as he seemed to be laughing. Holding his hand was a girl, just a little bit taller than the boy. She had dark black hair and light brown skin. She wore a long blue dress and seemed embarrassed to be there. Both children stood there, frozen in. Lapis crouched down by this younger version of her, looking in confusion.

 

_ Well of course you’re confused. Most people don’t get to see themselves  without using a mirror. I suppose that’s a perk of being dead. _

 

Lapis nodded before catching herself. She stared into empty space before the words hit her. “I’m… wait. Dead?” she shook her head. That didn’t sound right, dead people were… dead. She stood there, touching her hands and arms. The chest pain increased and she winced a bit. She coughed, shaking her head.

 

_ Pull it together Lapis. Yes, you’re dead but someone is trying to bring you back. Memory loss is part of death. If you want to come back, you’re going to have to piece together the important ones. _

 

Lapis shuddered and nodded her head. As she stood there the oddness of the situation started to dawn on her. This room felt unnatural, stifling. She tried to breathe but her lungs refused to work. A feeling of dread filled her and she squeezed her eyes shut. She grabbed at her hair as the feelings began to overwhelm her. She squatted still, focusing on the pain in her chest to drown out the anxiety. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and looked at the two children in the room.

 

“Those two… The boy’s name is Steven.” Lapis said, straining her brain. “He… he’s important to me. I think.” Lapis scratched her head as she tried to remember. “Yeah, that’s him. And the one in the dress… that’s me. This is us, back when we first met each other. I… I was seven at the time.” Lapis said, taking too long pauses between each sentence.

 

_ Good, that’s a good place to start. Go find the next room. _

 

Lapis nodded, gently slapping herself a few times in the face. As she started thinking more clearly, the weirdness of this situation started to hit her. Looking around, she saw the walls, and the floor. The room behind her still glowed white, but in the corner Lapis could see a dark spot start to spread. She willed herself to ignore it as she went up to the walls and started pressing on them.

 

“So… what are you then?” Lapis asked, pushing against the walls. “I mean, I don’t see you. Are you like, a voice in my head or something? Because knowing what I’m talking too could help.” she kept hitting random bits of the wall as she talked to the air. She didn’t particularly expect a response or anything.

 

_ You don’t have time to worry about me. But if you make it to the end of your memories, I will try and tell you what I know. _

 

Lapis paused and smiled. She didn’t fully understand why, but hearing that comforted her. Nodding to herself, she started kicking at the wall with renewed vigor. She realized that she couldn’t feel pain at the moment, because the wall refused to budge and her foot was starting to bend in a weird direction. Grumbling to herself, she sat down to straighten it before turning back to the previous room. Her jaw dropped as she snapped her foot back into place.

 

The black spot had grown to a black void. The vacuum seemed to suck the rest of the room in. Bits and flecks of white fell into the abyss as the walls started to fall apart. It was like watching a sandcastle be taken apart by a low tide. The part that chilled Lapis the most was how quickly it advanced towards her room. Like an ominous wall of death, it creeped towards her, breaking the room behind her to shreds. Lapis jumped to her feet and fell back against a wall. The wall gave out behind her, sending her toppling into the next room.

 

She landed face first on a carpet. It scraped against her, reminding Lapis of a childhood full of running faceplants. As she sat up, she found herself panicking. She thought her chest was going to burst before she remembered that her lungs didn’t feel like working. She shook her head, mumbling to herself. “What the heck did I just see?” 

 

_ That was… unusual. Normally souls have time to explore their inner memories. Yours appear to be falling apart. Must be the work of some… other factor. Either way, I’ll say it again. You need to hurry. _

 

Lapis nodded. She pushed herself to her feet and looked around. The walls were the same as before, but she found herself surrounded by furniture. She was lying next to a large office desk. It was pressed into the corner and comfortably housed a computer and some desk space. In the center of the room was a coffee table surrounded by two chairs. An untouched candy platter laid in the middle of it. Lapis felt herself shudder as she noticed the two figures standing by the coffee table.

 

One was a woman, arguably in her mid forties. She stood tall, towering over Lapis as she walked closer. Her black hair was pulled back into a strict working bun. Her glasses sat above her forehead, the black rims shining in the right light. She wore a business suit like a soldier. Every button seemed to glow and not a single crease tainted her suit. The only creases were across her forehead as she was currently shouting. Her face was contorted in rage that sent a primal shiver down Lapis’s back. She took an involuntary step back. Looking down she saw a smaller girl, no older than eight hiding her face behind her arms. She felt something drop in the pit of her stomach as she recognized herself.

 

_ More things are showing up. Your memories must be coming back. Do you remember what this is supposed to be? _

 

Lapis swallowed as she walked towards the woman. Shivering, she started to hug herself. “This woman is my mother.” she said. She bit her lip and shook her head. “No, she’s my birth mother. I remember seeing this face a lot growing up.” she looked at the face and shook 

 

_ Why did she raise her voice at you? _

 

“I wasn’t the daughter she wanted.” Lapis said. She frowned and shook her head as memories started to resurface in her mind. “She used to be proud of me when I was a kid. She was happy and smiles when I did well in school. Then I got older and dad left. She started to push me in elementary school, and when I couldn’t live up to it this happened.” As she talked her voice started to crack. She didn’t notice until her eyes started to well up with tears. She wiped her eyes off.

 

_ What happened next then? _

 

Lapis looked down at the little version of her. She remembered the fear that made up her daily routine. She remembered the anger she had to endure. Her chest ached as years of memories started to flood her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she bit down on a scream as she started to remember. Every word her mother said rang through her skull. The swirled around her, catching her off balance and battering down on her. A rainstorm of feelings poured over her trying to choke her. She felt like crying and screaming at the same time. The words and thoughts continued to pour in, refusing to stay forgotten. She tried to focus and failed miserably. 

 

Something inside her clicked. As more memories started to flood back, she felt something sift through the chaos. It found her. Reaching out, it touched her and she felt her mind start to clear. The hurricane in her brain tried to come back, but the presence held her steady. She focused on that feeling and felt warmth burst through her torso. The piercing pain in her chest continued but the warmth dulled the pain. It filled her then passed, leaving her cold in its absence. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked up.

 

The room looked more solid somehow. The walls were replaced by the wooden bookshelves she remembered growing up. The desks and chairs seemed to have more of a shine to them. She felt some thoughts poke at her, but she dismissed them offhand. She straightened herself and shook her head.

 

_ It appears you acquired more of your memories. Reliving years worth of trauma simultaneously is enough to make most people faint. How did you get through it? _

 

Lapis coughed and looked at her hands. “I have no idea. I felt something there, like. Like somebody held me up and kept me from falling.” she said. As she spoke, a wall behind her started to shift. She turned, watching the office wall start to brick apart. Pieces fell away, opening a neat arched door. She felt the warmth in her torso and it guided her to her feet. Looking at the door she started to move. Then she hesitated.

 

_ Why did you stop? There’s the next memory. _

 

Lapis looked at the doorway. She closed her eyes and tried to sort her feelings. She felt off, and she was finding a hard time putting her finger on it. She felt the warm feeling tug at her arm. It pulled, egging her to go through the door. Frowning, she submitted. Letting the feeling  pull her, she walked through the arch. As she stepped in darkness swallowed her. The office lights faded behind her as she felt herself swept off her feet. 

 

She yelped in surprise, but that was quickly stifled by the rush of wind through her hair. The falling sensation kicked in, and she started to plummet. The darkness around her seemed to swirl as she picked up speed. She screamed, flailing her arms in every direction. Down below she saw a light. It grew in size rapidly and Lapis held her arms over her face. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact. The light engulfed her. Her shoulder hit cobblestone. She tumbled across the road, smacking against a brick wall. She laid on the road stunned for a moment before opening her eyes.

 

Brick walls towered over her. The ceiling felt miles away. It glowed bright white, clashing with the stone buildings. She picked herself up and looked around. The wind from before chilled her back. Tucking her arms close to her, she looked around. The room was claustrophobic. Even though it looked the same size as the others, the massive buildings on two sides flanking her made her feel tiny. The floor was a dusty cobblestone path. She remembered tripping on that kind when she went on a history field trip.  Confused she looked around till it hit her.   
  
“I don’t recognize this place.” she said. The wind didn’t seem familiar, she had never seen these walls. The road could be something, but it was so generic nothing struck. She tried to put her finger on it until a sharp static rang in her ears. It pierced her skull as she grabbed her head in pain.

 

_ What do you mean you don’t recognize this place? It showed up in your soul-space, so the memory has to be here. _

 

“I-I don’t know.” Lapis said, panic starting to fill in after the pain left. She looked around until she saw the figures near the wall. “I found someone, I can check it.”

 

She jogged up to the figures. There were three of them. The first one was a figure, a girl in a light dress. She was running away, screaming. Two stood in an arm lock with the taller person having the upper hand. A she got closer, she saw the hilt of a knife in the taller one’s hand. The rest of it was inside the smaller person. The taller person was nondescript, having only a brown coat and a matching hat shadowing his face. Lapis didn’t pay attention to that part. She couldn’t stop looking at the girl with the knife in her stomach. She saw the blonde hair from a distance. As she got closer she could see light skin, paling with blood loss. She saw bright emerald eyes, wide with surprise and pain. She saw the mouth, open with a scream. There weren’t any fangs.

 

Lapis stepped closer as the warm feeling inside her intensified. “That. Now way, that’s perido-Augh!” she screamed, grabbing her head. The static in her head intensified as it upgraded from a mild pain to a roar that shook her skull. She fell to her knees, clutching her head in her hands. She looked up, trying to focus on the scene around her. It failed as the pain forced her eyes shut. She screamed for it to stop, and got her wish when the floor beneath her disappeared.

 

As she fell she held her head in her hands. She ground her teeth, trying to force the pain and the ringing to stop. The warm feeling wrapped around her, as if trying to console her. She felt the strain start to lesson as she fell farther. Peeking one eye open, she looked up at the fading light. It shrunk to a pin cushion size before disappearing completely. She ran her fingers through her hair as relief washed over her.

 

_ That was unprecedented. Are you one hundred percent sure that you can’t recall that scene? _

 

Lapis nodded. “Yeah, believe me I would remember seeing somebody getting stabbed. I don’t think I’ve even seen any buildings like that before.”

 

_ That’s impossible. Memories viewed in this reality come from pieces of the soul. You can only see images burned into your soul. _

 

Lapis paused for a second before holding a hand over her chest. “I… I remember Peridot said something about my soul having part of hers in it or something. Could that be it?”

 

_ What? _

 

A sharp jolt pricked her in the chest. Yelping in surprise, Lapis rubbed at the sore spot as she fell. “That was weird. Was that something to worry about?” she asked. As she fell silence was her only answer. She grumbled, trying to look around. “Hey, I know you’re probably a voice I imagined in my head, but I would really appreciate an answer or something right now. Come on, humor me.”

 

_ Your soul. It’s been fused with another. That’s not, it shouldn’t be possible. Keep going, you should be almost done.  _

 

Lapis had questions. She wasn’t sure how the voice knew about her soul. Also soul fusion sounded like some sort of anime nonsense. Why did it bother the voice so much? Those questions and more fell out of her head as the falling sensation kicked in. She screamed, seeing green in the distance. It rapidly approached her as she flailed her arms. Gritting her teeth, she twisted as the square patch grew in size. She flipped her legs below her and closed her eyes. She hit the ground hard, in one of those three-point superhero landings. She shook her head, looking for the racing feeling of her heart after a fall like that. Sadly there wasn’t any accompaniment to the adrenaline running through her brain.

 

She stood up and brushed herself off. Looking around she noticed this room was much bigger than the others. It spanned for what looked like forever in every direction. No matter how far she looked, she saw green fading into blue sky. She shrugged as she started walking. There wasn’t a destination in her head, but her feet picked a direction and she went with it. She walked, feeling the grass crunch beneath her feet. She felt peace wash over her as something came into view. Shrugging she started to make her way towards it.

 

“Hey, what’s with this place being this huge? I don’t think fields this big exist out of Iowa.” Lapis said.

 

_ Was that an attempt at humor? It missed me. This large field is most likely a distortion caused by your memories returning. If my calculations are correct, you should be almost there. _

 

Lapis nodded, relieved that they were getting through this. She started to talk back, but she stopped as she reached her destination. In front of her was a large playground, the kind parents left their kids at while they walked around the park. The square was full of tanbark and Lapis could already feel herself getting a splinter. She stepped into it and ran her hand along the play structure’s railings. She remembered jumping off the top for fun. As she stepped around, she stopped as she rounded the corner. Her arm dropped to the side as her mouth opened.

 

She remembered the swingset. She remembered coming onto it everyday to try and swing over the bar. She remembered trying to see how high she could go before falling off. She remembered coming her after having her mom scream at her. It was the only place she could cry in peace. And there she was, small young and seven, sitting on her favorite swing with tears in her eyes. 

 

She wasn’t alone this time. Standing in front of her, squatting to eye level was a woman. Her hair was the same as it always was, short pink and tied into a bun in the back of her head. She smiled, warming Lapis better than the sun ever could. She had her hand out to Lapis, fixing her eyes gently on the smaller girl. To her side was Steven, laughing and hugging at her side. At this distance, Lapis realized just how little Pearl had changed in ten years.

 

_ This memory looks significant. _

 

Lapis nodded. “This was… back when I was ten.” she started. She started towards Pearl, looking through her as the memory came back. “I was fighting with my mom. Not really fighting though, more like me getting screamed at while I tried not to cry. I remember running from the house to the park. I did that every time I had to get away from my mother. It’s where Steven and I played the most, and where I met Pearl.

 

“She didn’t trust me around Steven at first, but after a few weeks she started getting attached to me. She would always light up as I told her about my day. Except when I brought up mom. She always got this expression, the kind that a younger me didn’t understand. I found out why after a few months.” Lapis closed her eyes and shivered. “She was outraged over hearing how my mom treated me. This scene here is the result of months of me telling her that story.”

 

_ She seems happy though. How do those relate? _

 

Lapis smiled and leaned against the swingset. “Yeah, cause this is when she offered to take me home.” She laughed. “I remember how confused I was, like I thought she was doing this as a joke. Then she showed me the papers. My mom had signed over complete legal custody to her. Apparently they had been meeting for weeks to discuss this. I guess mom was finally glad to get me out of her hair.” she frowned, the familiar feeling of abandonment creeping into her gut. She shrugged it off. “That’s fine though. I got a better mom instead.” Lapis smiled again. She wanted to see her family now, and give them a hug. That feeling tugged at her chest as she saw another door open. It looked like someone cropped a rectangle out of thin air and plastered a starry night in it. She felt the warm sensation in her pull her towards it. She smiled and started to walk. Her chest hurt. 

 

She felt wind rush past her hair. Something pulled at her, sliding her back. She turned and immediately regretted her decision. The field behind her was gone. Frayed remains lined the outside of the void. The corruption was bigger this time, sucking in plains faster than she thought it could. Pieces of the area broke off, flying into the massive void. She could see a gaping hole in the center, sucking all sorts of things into it. It pulled harder the closer it got to her. Lapis looked around and saw parts of the area falling apart. The tanbark flew through the air in a spiral. It circled around the pieces of play structure that broke off and fell into the void. Lapis found herself paralyzed, staring at the destruction.

 

_ What are you doing, run! _

 

Lapis snapped out of it, turning and practically throwing herself forward. Her feet almost got lifted off the ground, but she stomped into the dirt and ran forward. She pushed herself as fragments started to fly past her head. Her vision was full of fragments and dirt flying toward her, obscuring the room. She grit her teeth and stomped into the ground. With a shout of effort she pushed off and ran to the door, throwing herself through the portal. It snapped behind her with an audible pop.

 

She cheered as she watched the portal close behind her. Sticking out her middle finger, she laughed. She knew it would take more than a black hole to kill her. In her celebration she forgot that she had thrown herself through the portal. She remembered this, then realized she hadn’t touched ground yet. Curiosity got the best of her and she looked down. Below her she could see the ocean, shining moon reflecting off its surface. There was also no land underneath her. She braced herself for what came next. She was really tired of falling.

 

A few moments passed without falling, and that started to confuse her. Tentatively, she lowered her arms and tried to stand up straight. Her feet didn’t touch anything, but she felt something push back. As she stepped, she held her arms out and felt herself float. She smiled, feeling the weightlessness in all her body. Laughing, she kicked her foot and sent herself up into the air. Then she kicked again, aiming herself downwards. She smiled more, letting herself get carried away. The smile on her face refused to leave as she flew around.

 

_ You’re getting distracted. _

 

Lapis slammed to a halt. She spun in midair until she stopped. Face red, she grumbled. “I wasn’t getting distracted, I was just testing… the new area.” she said with a frown.

 

_ Focus. You’re almost there. One more and the procedure should be complete. Your soul will make it back to your body and you’ll be alive. Probably. _

 

At the thought Lapis blinked. She smiled, kicking her feet and launching herself again. She flew through the night sky, the rush coming back to her. She remembered this joy, this freedom. She closed her eyes and remembered this rush. Blushing, she realized what memory this had to be. Swallowing her nerves, she opened her eyes and dashed through the sky. She looked up, saw the clouds and the moon. She knew where they’d be.

 

She found them, suspended in midair under the moon. It felt sickeningly sweet, but she liked the taste. Dashing up, she saw the scene in person. It was her embracing Peridot. They were wrapped in a deep kiss, eyes closed and not a care in the world. The sky seemed to sparkle around her. It felt disgustingly cliche, but still. It made her smiled. The warm feeling in her chest seemed to smile too.

 

_ I don’t think I need to ask if you remember this. This is your most recent burned memory, isn’t it? _

Lapis nodded with a smile. Then she felt the pain. It was like something had jabbed right through her. Looking down, Lapis didn’t see anything physical. All she was was the blood dripping from where her heart should be. She coughed, red splattering on her arm. She blinked and looked at her hand, her body trembling. Then she fell.

 

She fell again, the pain shocking her system. She watched the world around her shatter, pieces scattering to the far winds. There was no falling sensation this time. There was only the pain in her chest. It pulsed, piercing through her over and over again. She held up a hand to block out the coughing. She coughed into empty space.

 

Her hand was gone. She saw her wrist, the bits breaking off into oblivion. She saw her arm start to fall apart before her eyes. The part that scared her was how little pain she felt. She looked down and saw her legs breaking apart too. Each limb slowly started to crack and break off, fading into nothingness as Lapis just watched.

 

_ Do you want to live? _

 

Lapis snapped her head at the voice.

 

_ The magic is stronger than expected. Your soul is starting to fragment. I can’t interfere with your soul, but I can slow the magic. Answer my question. _

 

Panic clouded her vision. She tried to remember how to speak but nothing came to hear. Closing her eyes she tried to calm down.

 

_ There’s nothing wrong with giving up. _

 

Lapis’s eyes snapped open.

 

_ I mean, I’ll be frank. I can’t use you for what I was planning. And from your memories you’ve had a difficult life up till now. I can’t imagine what kind of a life you lived to get you here, but something brought you to this point. Nobody would blame you for just giving up. _

 

Her mouth hung open. She listened to this and felt thoughts coming to her. Voices rang in her ears, the ones that told her to quit for too many years. She felt herself remembering the despair, the nightmares of her mother, the isolation. The weariness that weighed on her for so many years pressed down and she felt her grip slipping. 

 

Then she remembered Steven’s worried smile. She remembered Steven throwing her all the birthday parties she never had at once. She remembered Pearl almost punting a soccer mom to get her the new playstation. She remembered the smiles on her family’s faces when she decided to be an artist. She remembered Peridot’s teary smile after hearing her story. She remembered the vampire that promised to protect her. She remembered Peridot screaming as she lost consciousness from the spell.

 

Lapis clenched her remaining hand. “I refuse.” she ground out. “I refuse to let this thing kill me.”

 

_ You really want to keep going? It’s only going to get harder from here? _

 

“So what!?” she half shouted. She tried to move her arm. It felt like she was pulling through quicksand. “I promised that I’d be safe.” she grunted harder, moving her hand with all the strength she could muster. “I refuse to make Peridot cry again! I’m going to make it out alive even if it kills me!” she shouted, straining against the void. A hand grabbed her wrist. 

 

_ So you are resolved after all? Excellent. _ The voice said, this time out loud. Lapis looked up and saw the white gloved hand around her wrist. She saw the person holding it. She wasn’t very tall, but she carried herself like a giant. Floating amidst the void, she almost seemed to shine. Her white gloves matched her outfit, giving her a look that was between regal and scientist. She had light brown skin and a wickedly toothy smile. Her pink hair seem to flow with a life of its own.  _ The will to live is curious indeed.  _

 

Lapis watched the woman snap her fingers. The pain in her chest disappeared. She coughed, drier but with less effort. The woman smiled at her. She covered Lapis’s fist with one hand. With the other she stretched her wrist. Breathing in the woman looked to Lapis with a confident smile.  _ I’m bored, but you seem entertaining girl. I want to see how far your resolve will take you. _ She said.  _ Try not to die again. Your body is useless to us both if you’re dead. _

 

Blinking, Lapis tried to process all this. She had a million questions but all of them caught in her throat. Staring at the woman, she looked into her bright pink eyes. “Who are you?” she asked.

 

The woman smiled softer and chuckled. She flexed her arm before raising it across her torso.  _ You may call me Pink Diamond.  _ She said. In a blur of motion she backfisted the void behind her. Lapis watched the emptiness begin to crack. Lines sprouted from Pink Diamond’s fist, spreading acrossin random patterns. Through the cracks a bright yellow light shone. The sight of it brought out the warmth in Lapis. Pink removed her fist and blew on it, winking at Lapis.  _ She’s waiting for you. Don’t keep her waiting. _ Pink said before letting go of Lapis’ fist. As soon as her fingers left the woman vanished into mid air.

 

From the new opening Lapis heard a thump. Something pounded against the wall repeatedly. She heard a cry of effort from behind the cracks. The surface shattered, sending flakes of darkness shooting past Lapis’ head. The light shone brightly around her, cutting through the darkness. From the center of the hole a glowing hand shot out. Lapis saw it come towards her. Someone shouted in the darkness. She heard “Lapis!” in a familiar voice.

 

The warm feeling inside her stretched around her hand. Lapis looked over and saw what looked like a glowing hand on top of hers moving her towards the hand. She nodded and thrust her hand forward, grabbing the other hand. They clasped together. The glowing energy jumped off Lapis into the hand. As she held it their hands started to glow, brighter and brighter. It shone until the light exploded around her, searing the darkness away. Lapis closed her eyes and shielded herself with her other hand. She opened her eyes and noticed she had her real hand back. Looking down her legs were there too. She looked up and saw the hand she was holding onto. It was connected to her vampire, eyes full of worry but a smile on her face. Lapis pulled her close without even thinking.

 

She hugged this version of Peridot, feeling the warmth resonate through her. She felt arms wrap around her, holding her tight and reassuring her. Pulling away, she could looked Peridot in the eyes. Brown eyes met green as she looked at Peridot. The vampire smiled, fangs out and everything. Lapis smiled back, closing her eyes. She held Peridot close as the warmth enveloped her. As she faded, her last thought was simple: She wanted to see her.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

She laid in bed, body as still as it had been for a week. The sheet shifted, the bed creaked.

 

Lapis took a breath.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever had a really bad day? Like a reallly really crappy day? Yeah, I had like about 30 of those. Sorry for the delay everyone, thank you for all your patience and for still reading my stuff. Hopefully updates will be more regular again, but ya know, patience is always appreciated.
> 
> Anyway back to the chapter. I couldn't keep Lapis dead for too long. So, hopefully you all enjoyed the kinda weird trippy stuff. Also I hope you enjoyed the long chapter. Part of me wanted to make a long chapter to make up for my absence. The other part really didn't want to come up with three chapter titles about being in gem purgatory. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and yeah, leave comments or kudos or whatever you feel like. I'm really glad to be back. I'll see you all next chapter.


	22. In which lapis is starting to really hate mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things change.

Lapis shot up in bed. She panted, breath shallow. Her head swirled. She grabbed the nearest thing. She grabbed a fistful of sheets. She recognized them. These were her old ones, from when she was a kid. She begged Pearl to get her them after seeing her first superhero movie. Holding a hand on her chest, she took a breath. Slow, deliberate, she felt herself relax. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and released.

“Well, that’s one way to wake up.”

She slammed herself into a wall. Still high strung from dying, she stood on the bed pressed against the wall. A clump of blanket was wrapped around her hand. She might have shrieked too, but she pretended not to remember that. She stared at the voice’s owner, who was currently sitting in her chair with a similar expression. Amethyst looked a second away from falling out of her chair. Her balance was off, her eyes were wide and whatever she was snacking on fell on the floor. She followed suit, falling to the ground with a crash.

The rush ebbed, leaving her only mildly anxious. She slumped onto the bed, feeling her body ache. Fatigue nipped at her limbs making her wish she hadn’t woken up. She felt the dull ache in her chest spreading through her torso. It didn’t hurt a quarter what it used to, but it was still there. She let out a long sigh as Amethyst found a seat on the side of the bed.

“Okay, you alright now homegirl? Cause if you’re going to scream again, I’m going to tag out with someone who’s not me.” Amethyst said. She tried to sound annoyed, but her smile and tone didn’t sell it. Lapis looked at her and returned the smile.

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m kind of jumpy.” Lapis said, scratching at her neck. “I, where am I? Last time I checked I was dead.”

Amethyst stretched. “Yeah, you were. Stone cold, stiff as a board. But it looks like you were only mostly dead.” she said.

Lapis tried to hold up her hands. They felt heavy, like someone had taken her blood and replaced it with lead. She flexed her hand and felt the muscles strain. “I. So I really did die?”

Uncharacteristically silent, Amethyst scooted closer to Lapis. She put a hand over Lapis’. “Yeah, you did. Peri filled me in on all the details. You got her to thank for coming back. I think she cried when you started breathing.”

A smile forced its way onto Lapis’ face. She closed her eyes and made a note to give Peridot the biggest hug when she found her. Memories from last night began to surface, and she felt sick remembering them. A thought struck her and she looked to Amethyst. She saw the bags under her eyes. Her smile was slightly forced, and her hands twitched. Lapis bit her lip and threaded her fingers with Amethyst’s. “I… I’m sorry.” she said, looking away. “I guess you know about Jasper.”

Amethyst’s smile faded. She looked down, hair obscuring her face. Sighing to herself, she bumped shoulders with Lapis. “Hey, you guys couldn’t have done anything. It’s fine.” she said, trying to stay upbeat. “Besides, we’re going to find her right?”

Lapis looked back to her and gave her a smile. She nodded and bumped her shoulder against Amethyst. “Of course, who do you think we are? Besides, I have to find that yellow bitch and pay her back for the chest piercing.” Lapis said with a widening grin. She and Amethyst laughed as she ran a finger along her chest. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the spike jutting out of her. If she opened them, she’d know nothing was there. And if she held her hand over her heart she’d hear a-

She didn’t feel a pulse. Lapis blinked, a cold sweat sprouting on her brow. She flipped a wrist over and pressed her fingers to it. Nothing. Swallowing, she held two to her neck. Nothing. She started to panic. She went to nibble at a finger. She yelped as she felt something pierce her skin. As the facts started to line up together, she started to shake. She held up a shaking finger and ran it along her canine teeth. They almost pricked her finger, and were almost half an inch longer than she remembered. Gasping, she clasped a hand over her mouth. She looked over to Amethyst in a panic. The shorter girl looked back and looked away sheepishly.

“Yeah, uh. I was going to get to that.” she said, scratching at her head. “Um, so Peri managed to bring you back, right? She also uh, wasn’t able to bring you back as a human.”

Lapis stared at her. Her jaw dropped for a second. While her brain buffered the new information, her mouth made random babbling noises. She tried to point to Amethyst, or say something coherent, or just vocalize her feelings by screaming. Her body chose to fall back onto the bed. She landed face up surrounded by bunched up blanket. Groaning, she put a hand over her face.

“You alright?” Amethyst asked, leaning over her.

Lapis groaned in response. “This is a dream right? I’m not actually a vampire.”

Amethyst laughed, patting Lapis on her shoulder. “Girl, you’ve been asleep for a week. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were still dreaming.”  
“You’re telling me,” Lapis said covering her eyes with her arm, “that not only did I die. I’ve been asleep for a week. And I’m a vampire now. Am I missing anything?”

Amethyst hummed. She put a finger to her chin and shrugged. “Nah, I think you got it all. You need a minute to process or something?” The vampire nodded her head. “Alright, I’ll give you a minute. I think they’re having dinner downstairs and I kinda wanted to talk to the cute chick with the pink hair.”

Eyes wide, Lapis turned to Amethyst. “Amethyst, that’s my mom.” The were-puma looked to her with a smile. “Amethyst, that is my mother.” Amethyst hopped off the bed. Sitting up, Lapis couldn’t keep her mouth close. “Amethyst that’s my mom!”

“You get some rest Lapis,” Amethyst said, heading to the door. She paused, hand on the doorknob. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. When they brought you in, you had some sorta weird glowing book with you? Either way it kept glowing when we tried to move it away from you so we just kinda left it on the bedside table. Anyway, come down when you feel ready, I think Steven brought his girlfriend for dinner.”

Lapis nodded, exhaustion settling in again. As the door closed she let herself fall back onto her bed. She felt like if she closed her eyes, she could sleep for a thousand years. It occurred to her that she could in theory do that. Dismissing those thoughts, she turned towards the table next to the bed. As she thought, Rose’s spellbook laid there. Its gem glowed with a bright pink light. Something about it pulled Lapis, and the girl couldn’t keep herself from reaching out to it. She grabbed it, holding the book in her hands. It was lighter than she expected, and felt warm to the touch.

Careful with the leather, the animal it’s made from doesn’t exist anymore.

Lapis almost slammed herself into the wall again. Breathing hard, she looked around for the source of the voice. It rang through her ears, seeming to be both everywhere and nowhere at the same time. She whipped her head back and forth. Nothing on the right side of the room near her bed. Just the wall and empty space on the left. A beautiful woman sitting on the edge of her bed on the right. She almost screamed but covered her mouth.

The woman rolled her eyes, brushing a strand of pink hair from her face. “You act as if this is the first time you’ve seen me. I’m Pink Diamond, any of that ring any bells?” she said. She sat on the edge of Lapis’ bed, legs crossed and chin on her hand. She stared at Lapis with dark rose pupils and a playful grin on her face. “Your face looks like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“You… You’re from my.” Lapis looked around, breathing heavily. “W-what the heck? I thought I made it out of that place. Am I still dreaming o-”

“Breathe Lapis.” the woman said, with a smile. Lapis turned to her, only to find she wasn’t there anymore. She started to get confused before a hand tapped her on the shoulder. Snapping her head to her side, she saw the woman kneeling on her bed next to her. “You’re really jumpy right now. Something got you tense?”

Lapis stared at her, taking deeper breaths. She looked to her and then to the book in her hands. “Are… Are you really here? O-or am I just seeing things?”

Pink Diamond looked at her, smile sharp with half closed eyes. “You tell me. I think you already have an idea.” she said. Her eyes flickered to Lapis’ hand then back to her face. Lapis swallowed, taking a hand and moving it towards Pink. With a tight feeling in her chest, she reached out to touch her face. Her hand met no resistance, passing through her.

“Okay. Okay, so you’re not really here. So that means I’m not dead.” she said, breathing to herself some more. She looked again to the book, warmly pulsing in her hand. “But you only appeared while I was touching this… which means that-”

“You’re quite sharp.” Pink said. She had vanished from Lapis’ side, reappearing on the other side of her bed. “Yes, while you are in contact with the book, you and I can talk. Also, you don’t have to talk out loud if you don’t want to. I am technically in your head after all.”

Lapis frowned, keeping her eyes locked on the diamond. “And how can I be sure you’re not some figment of my imagination?” she said. Part of her felt certain she was real, but she didn’t feel like taking any chances.

Humming to herself, Pink looked to Lapis with a smile. “I have an idea. Hold your hand out.” Her smile was met with a look of disapproval. Sighing, she motioned at Lapis’ hand. “Come on, you want your evidence right?”

Lapis looked to the diamond, then down to her hand. Glancing up, she saw Pink Diamond still sitting there with a coy smile. Sighing, she raised her hand, palm up. “Okay, this good enough?”

Pink nodded. “Good, good. Now repeat after me. Say: ʍɐʇǝɹ”

“I’m sorry, I think I just had a stroke. What did you just say?” Lapis said. She heard Pink say something, but it didn’t sound anything like real words. Pink Diamond just rolled her eyes, smile still wide if not slightly tired.

“Don’t think, just try saying what you heard. And while you do, close your eyes and imagine a shape, whatever you want.”

Skeptic almost described how Lapis felt. For some reason she decided to try and indulge her ghost companion. Closing her eyes, she took a deep, slow breath. Three slow beats in, four slow beats out. She held her hand out again, and imagined a shape over it. Concentrating, she tried to remember what she heard. It almost escaped her until her thoughts latched onto the memory. She almost whispered the word.

“ʍɐʇǝɹ”

A rush ripped through her. A shock wave passed through her body, starting from torso and shooting out her finger tips. She blinked her eyes open, the image still vivid in her thoughts. And there it floated in front of her, more vivid in a tangible way. It hung over her hand, a glowing blue tear drop. As Lapis squinted she could see what looked like currents moving through the shape. She reached out to touch it, feeling cool water against her finger. Staring at the drop, she stared mesmerized. It felt like she could get lost in its swirling, it was so pretty.

The second her concentration broke, the teardrop shattered. It fell apart, splashing her palm with cold water. She yelped, pulling her hand back like she touched a stove. As the surprise faded, she noticed that her fingers felt warm. Her whole hand felt warm, a drastic contrast to the rest of her body. She poked her fingers with the cold hand, brow furrowed in confusion.

“It’s a bi-product of casting spells.” pink diamond said, from behind Lapis. Lapis tensed for a second before she felt her presence almost sitting against her back. “What you just did is what we in the business call ‘hydrokinesis’. It’s a fantastic party trick.”

Lapis looked at her hands in awe. She chuckled to herself. “So, I just used magic? It’s a lot less exhausting than I remember.”

“I know you had used minor magic before,” the diamond said, humming to herself, “But I didn’t imagine you would take this so calmly.”

“I just died, woke up from a weeklong coma and found out I’m a vampire.” Lapis said with a snort. “I think that my surprise tolerance is scarily high right now.”  
Pink diamond laughed, the sound like bells in a summer breeze. “Glad to see undeath hasn’t changed your sense of humor. Are you convinced of my existence yet?”

“Well, I mean. The way I see it,” Lapis said, fiddling with her shirt, “either that was real and you’re just as real. That, or it was fake like you and I’m so far gone it doesn’t really matter. I think I liked option one better.”

“That is certainly a way to look at it. Maybe you’ll be more useful than I expected you to be.” Pink said, humming to herself.

“So you do have something in plan for me.” Lapis said. She heard the spirit hum in acknowledgement. “Are you planning on telling me what?”

“Hmmm… I don’t think so.” Pink said with a laugh. “I like to keep a certain air of mystery.”

Lapis ran her hand through her hair. She was glad to know that vampires could still get headaches. “Mystery is not how you get girls to like you. Do you really think that’ll make me want to trust you.”

“Nope.” Pink said with a smile.  
  
Lapis admired the honesty. Sighing, she looked back at the book, running a finger along the spine. “So… you have plans for me. And you’re a diamond. I don’t think any of those sound like a reason for me to not lock this book in the closet for another fifty years.”

She could see her, but she felt the smile that stretched across Pink’s face. “Excellent points. But, I have two things you want. First, I have the promise that I can’t do anything to you without your permission. You’d have to let me in, so you don’t have to worry about any funny business.”

“Sounds like a raw deal for you. What’s the second part?”

The smile grew wider. “The power to protect her. The one who saved you. All of my magic, my knowledge would be at your fingertips.”

Lapis almost choked. She coughed, gripping at the book in her hands. “What?”

“I was with you, helping you repair your soul. I could feel the frustration you had over how you had to watch her risk herself for you. I’m offering you a chance to never feel that type of frustration again, a chance to acquire the power to protect her for once.”

“And what’s the catch?” Lapis asked, her breath shallow and short. She tried to swallow but felt a lump in her throat.

“All you have to do is bring my book with you. From what I heard, the two of us have a common enemy. I want to see her pay.” Pink said. A chill ran down Lapis’ spine, as the murderous intent dripped from Pink’s words. The cheery tone only made it worse. “If giving you my power is enough to watch her driven back into the hole she crawled out of, then I would gladly give you the world.”

Lapis held the book to her chest. The offer ran through her head. It sounded shady. She read books, this is how people usually ended up selling their souls to the devil or something. It was one thing to wake up as a vampire. It was another thing to make a bargain with a questionably malevolent spirit. The more she thought of it, the stupider it sounded.

Then she remembered Peridot, pinned to a tree while Lapis hopelessly watched.

Swallowing, she took a deep breath and breathed out her reservations. She closed her eyes. “Teach me.” she muttered.

Pink diamond laughed. “Are you saying we have a deal? No take backs.”

Lapis nodded, feeling the book warm under her touch. She felt anxiety build up, threatening to burst out of her chest. Some part of her screamed this was a bad idea. She clamped down on it and bit her lip. She forced her lips open, inch by inch. She made her decision.  
  
“It’s a deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about you guys but I've never seen deals with ghosts go wrong. Lemme know what you guys think. Comment kudos etc. I'll see you all next chapter.


	23. In which Lapis can't get one day of proper rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis needs to ask more questions

“So, does Pearl know you’re here?” Lapis asked, smoothing her shirt out. While it was nice waking up in her penguin pajamas, she didn’t feel like walking out in them. Rummaging through her closet, she pulled out whatever clothes she could find. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Pink Diamond peeking over her shoulder. 

 

The diamond shrugged and floated in front of Lapis.  _ “She wasn’t aware of me before, no. It never came up.”  _

 

Lapis raised her eyebrow. “She called it Rose’s spellbook though. Rose never told her anything about you?” 

 

_ “Rose…” _  Pink Diamond started. She paused, still floating in front of Lapis. Her eyes were looking at something Lapis couldn’t see. Pink seemed lost in thought. She shook her head and reapplied her smile.  _ “Rose had a lot of secrets. This is most likely one that she kept from Pearl.” _

 

Lapis didn’t feel like prying the truth out of her. She threw on some clothes, settling on the first cartoon t-shirt that fit and some bleached jeans. It looked like she was on her way to a Blink-182 concert. It felt familiar and reassured her nerves. Holding a hand over her neck, she almost considered covering the bite mark on her throat. It pulsed under her hand. She figured she’d write it off as a bad hickey. Sighing to herself, she started to head out.

 

“Hey, one quick thing.” she said, hand on her doorknob. “Well, two actually. First, I’m going to call you Pinkie. Is that okay with you?”

 

_ “My name is Pink Diamond.” _ she said, appearing next to Lapis. Her arms were crossed and her face was even more cross.  _ “I am a several millennia old  spirit with more magic knowledge than you could possibly fathom.” _

 

“Yes, and you also live in a heavy book that I gotta lug around.” Lapis said, smirking at the phantom. “So I think I get to give you a nickname. At least I didn’t pick Casper.”

 

_ “And yet another modern reference I do not understand.” _ Pinkie said with a resigned sigh.  _ “Fine, call me whatever you want. And your second thing?” _

 

Lapis hummed, turning the doorknob. “I want to tell Pearl about you.” She almost choked on her tongue as the ghost popped in front of her face. Coughing, she grabbed at her chest and stumbled back. “Okay, I know I don’t have a working one, but I almost gave me a heart atta-”

 

_ “You can’t do that,” _ Pink said. Her voice was darker than Lapis had ever heard, lacking any hint of her previous warmth. Her smile seemed friendly, her eyes screamed anything but.  _ “Pearl is not to know that I exist. Is that clear?”  _ she almost whispered.

 

It shook Lapis to her soul. She took a subconscious step back. Lapis swallowed, a cold sweat dripping down her neck. “I-I didn’t know this was such a big deal.” She had to cough the words out past the lump in her throat.

 

_ “It is a very big deal. And before you try to pry, it is not your business,”  _ Pink said. Her face was dark red as she towered over Lapis. Malice radiated off her in waves. The room around her darkened and Lapis felt herself shrink before the ghost. Lapis bit her lip and forced herself to nod. Time hung still as the air in her lungs froze.

 

_ “Super!” _ Pink said with a bright smile. 

 

Just like the the atmosphere felt normal and Lapis could breathe again. A cold sweat ran down her neck. She watched the ghost clap her hands and giggle. Sighing, Lapis ran a hand through her hair. She closed her eyes and shook off the fear. “Okay, any other things I need to know before heading downstairs?” she looked up and Pinkie was gone. As she opened her mouth to talk she felt a smack on her back. Yelping, she staggered through the door.

 

_ “Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when you need to. Just try not to talk to me out loud when you’re with other people, okay?”  _ Lapis felt Pink’s voice whisper inside her brain. It felt like someone was tracing the inside of her skull with spider legs. The hairs on her neck stood up as she nodded.  _ “Good. Now, relax and go see your family. I’ll be taking a nap till you need me.”  _ Pink’s whispers echoed through Lapis’ head. And with that, she was alone.

 

Taking a deep breath, she started to head down the stairs. The stairs felt bigger than she remembered. Each step she took felt heavier than the last. A weight began to form in the balls of her feet as she descended the stairs. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to wish the feeling away. It migrated up to her stomach, then up to her lungs. She swallowed. Forcing herself, she kept going down the stairs. She could make out distant voices as she approached the main entry. The weight in her chest upgraded to a cinder block. She bit her lip and considered running back upstairs. Sleeping for a week felt much better than going down here and seeing her fa-

Her foot touched first floor carpet. Her thoughts skidded to a stop. The other joined the first. She grit her teeth as she could hear voices coming from the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, she listened to the voices as she wandered closer.

 

Pearl’s voice resonated through the air first. “-can’t believe I let this happen. This is all my fault.” she said. Lapis almost didn’t recognize her. Pearl’s voice didn’t sound right, sounding so defeated. 

 

“You’ve been saying that for the past two days.” a second, rougher voice said. Lapis pegged it as Amethyst. “From what Peridot told me, you did your best. You were amazing”

 

“But that wasn’t enough.” Pearl said. Lapis felt herself stop for a moment. The weight in Pearl’s voice shook her, pressing the cinder block harder onto her chest. Lapis swallowed before she kept moving.

 

“Pearl… look. You, you can’t. I mean.” Amethyst stuttered. “Hey, okay how about I try and cheer you up. I’ve got good news for ya.”

 

“I honestly cannot imagine what you could say to make me-” Pearl’s voice dropped. Lapis stepped into the threshold of the kitchen. Inside, Pearl and Amethyst sat on the counter stools. Well, Pearl sat on the stool, Amethyst sat on the counter itself. The pair stopped their conversation as both eyes fixed on the vampire in their doorway.

 

Lapis swallowed uncomfortably. She tried to look Pearl in the eyes. Her expression was almost unreadable. The mouth was ajar, her eyes wide. Her skin became paler somehow. Clearing her throat, Lapis weakly raised a hand. “H-hi.” she mumbled.

 

In a flash Lapis found herself in a tight embrace. Pearl threw herself across the room, kicking the stool aside and wrapping herself around Lapis. Lapis barely had a minute to process the crying woman on top of her. Pearl squeezed her tight, grabbing onto her shirt. She pressed her head onto Lapis’ shoulder. She held her tighter, as if afraid that the second she let go Lapis would disappear into thin air.

 

Whatever Lapis expected, this wasn’t it. She swallowed. She took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, and let herself relax into Pearl’s arms. A smile cracked onto her face as she started to laugh. One sniffle and a chuckle turned into sobbing and laughter. She pulled Pearl closer to her as she started to cry into her mother’s shoulder. Pearl started to laugh with Lapis, bells ringing out of her throat. The two stood together, laughing and crying into each other. The oppressive atmosphere evaporated. Lapis felt whole again.

* * *

 

She kind of expected food to taste… worse? All the books and movies she studied said that food would start tasting like sand or, something. Honestly, things tasted pretty much the same as they did before. She chewed another bite before wondering if this said something about her, or if it said something about the kind of food she ate.

 

“Dude have you seen the stuff we eat?” Amethyst said with a rude amount of food in her mouth. “I mean, the other night I ate like an entire cow. I mean I’m basically a vampire too if that’s how we look at it.” she snickered as Pearl elbowed her in the arm.

 

Lapis blushed, almost choking on her spoon. Gagging, she smacked her chest trying to dislodge whatever she almost swallowed. She coughed till the clog in her throat broke up. Her heart would’ve been beating like crazy if it was still beating. A blush covered her face, which she quickly tried to cover with her hands.

 

“How long have I been thinking out loud?” Lapis mumbled.

 

“Since ‘expected food to taste worse’.” Pearl said. A smug smile tugged at her lips. Lapis tried to dissolve into her chair. “I’ll have you know, I am a very good cook by most standards. It’s been three years since I’ve had somebody complain about food poisoning.”

 

Amethyst snorted and elbowed Pearl back. “Yeah, cause you haven’t had anyone who could complain about your food for three years.” She laughed as Pearl half-glared at her. The two looked at each other, slowly until the ice melted in Pearl’s face and she let herself crack a smile. 

 

Lapis watched the two with her own grin. The energy at the table was contagious. Shoveling more food in her mouth, she let herself savor a few bites. Humming to herself, she noticed something felt off. She blinked, looking around the table. Pearl was here as usual. Steven was probably off with his girlfriend or something. Amethyst was laughing it up, so who was she mi-

 

“Where’s Peridot?” 

 

The other two at the table stopped their joking. Pearl looked slightly paler than usual as she tried to look away. Amethyst ran her fork through her food. She scraped like she was some sort of pioneer bonsai food gardner. This wasn’t reassuring behavior. This wasn’t a reassuring silence. Lapis felt a pinch in her gut.

 

“Where’s Peridot?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's good to be back. Turns out quitting a horrible abusive job does wonders for one's creativity. Expect the next chapter sometime soon, darlings. Meanwhile, like kudos, yell at me in a comment or whatever you all fancy.
> 
> Also uh, if you happened to really like this and want to help my currently unemployed butt, mind giving me any tips? Anything is appreciated, but honestly I'm happy that you're reading this in the first place. See you next chapter.
> 
> https://ko-fi.com/A7503VBD


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